FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1985
IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS WEEK, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY ALSO POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS NOT TRUE THE 14 WIVES IN YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER COULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BACK INTO THE IR COMMUNITIES.
+THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA IS THAT ONLY THOSE HOLDING ONE WAY PERMITS CAN BE CONSIDERED FOR SETTLEMENT IN HONG KONG. THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THOSE NOT HOLDING ONE WAY PERMITS WILL HAVE THEIR HOUSEHOLD REGISTRATION IN CHINA CANCELLED. EVEN IF SOME MAY HAVE DELIBERATELY CANCELLED THE IR OWN REGISTRATION IN CHINA, THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM FOR THEM TO RE-REGISTER WHEN THEY RETURN TO CHINA,+ MR JEAFFRE SON SAID.
HONG KONG'S MAN IN U.S. FIGHTS JENKINS BILL
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HONG KONG'S COMMISSIONER FOR COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS IN THE UNITED STATES, MR BILL DORWARD, MET YESTERDAY (THURSDAY) WITH SENATORS AND LEGISLATIVE AIDES ON CAPITAL BILL TO. LOBBY AGAINST THE PROTECTIONIST JENKINS BILL NOW BEFORE CONGRESS.
MR DORWARD SAID THE JENKINS BILL HAD BEEN PRESENTED AS MERELY ENFORCING EXISTING U.S. AGREEMENTS, BOTH BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL, BUT IT WAS IN FACT THE OPPOSITE. HE SAID ITS PROPOSALS WERE IN CLEAR AND UNDENIABLE CONTRAVENTION OF THE GATT, THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT (MFA), AND AT LEAST 12 BILATERAL AGREEMENTS CONCLUDED UNDER THE MFA.
THE EXCLUSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND CANADA FROM THE BILL'S PROVISIONS WAS BOTH ILLEGAL AND ILLOGICAL, HE SAID.
+ ILLEGAL UNDER WORLD TRADE LAW; ILLOGICAL IN THAT EUROPE AND CANADA PROVIDED THE MAIN SOURCE OF GROWTH IN U.S. TEXTILE AND APPAREL IMPORTS IN 1984.+
MR DORWARD SAID THAT WHILE MUCH HAD BEEN MADE OF THE ARGUMENT THAT THE COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY THE BILL DID NOT OFFER RECIPROCAL ADVANTAGES TO THE U.S. IN THEIR OWN MARKETS, HONG KONG COULD POINT WITH CONFIDENCE TO ITS OWN POLICIES AS THEY AFFECTED THE U.S. AND ALL ITS TRADING PARTNERS.
+HONG KONG OFFERS THE UNITED STATES ARGUABLY THE MOST UNTRAMMELED EXPORT MARKET OF ANY SUBSTANTIAL SIZE IN THE WORLD. AT A TIME WHEN THE 'TILTED PLAYING FIELD' CONCEPT IS GETTING MASSIVE ATTENTION, IT IS FAIR TO REMIND THAT HERE IS ONE PLACE WHERE IT IS EITHER SCRUPULOUSLY LEVEL OR TILTED THE OTHER WAY, HE SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE NO TARIFFS, QUOTAS OR OTHER NON-TARIFF BARRIERS ON IMPORTS FROM THE U.S. OR ANYWHERE ELSE,
BY CONTRAST, NOR ARE THERE INHIBITIONS ON TRADE IN SERVICES. ABOUT 40 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S EXPORTS TO THE U.S. ARE SUBJECT TO QUOTA AND ONLY ABOUT 16 PER CENT BENEFIT FROM THE GSP.
/+ANY WORSENING