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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1985
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STEPPED UP EFFORTS URGED AGAINST JENKINS BILL
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AMERICAN BUSINESSMEN IN HONG KONG WERE URGED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR ERIC HO, TO STEP UP THEIR LOBBYING EFFORTS AGAINST THE JENKINS BILL, NOW BEFORE THE SENATE.
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MR HO SAID: +MAY ENCOURAGE YOU ALL WHO HAVE VOTING RIGHTS IN THE U.S., OR HAVE FRIENDS OR TRADING PARTNERS WHO HAVE THEM, TO USE ALL YOUR INFLUENCE TO BRING HOME THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO SENATORS WHO WILL IN THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS CONSIDER THE BILL.
* IT IS A BAD BILL, WHICH IS INIMICAL TO THE INTERESTS OF
THE UNITED STATES AND HER FRIENDS AND TRADING PARTNERS IN THIS REGION;
* IT IS A BAD BILL WHICH MIGHT CREATE SOME JOBS IN THE
TEXTILE INDUSTRY, BUT WHICH WOULD CERTAINLY COST OTHERS IN THE IMPORT AS WELL AS EXPORT RELATED INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES; AND
*
IT IS A BAD BILL BASED ON MISINFORMATION WHICH SENDS A MESSAGE OF SHORTSIGHTED MISUNDERSTANDING TO THE WORLD.+
MR HO SAID HE APPRECIATED THE EFFORTS OF AMCHAM IN HONG KONG TO PROMOTE RECOGNITION OF HONG KONG'S GOOD TRADE PRACTICES IN THE PAST YEAR, AND TO OPPOSE THE JENKINS BILL.
+THIS WAS MOST APPARENT DURING THE RECENT VISITS TO HONG KONG BY SENATOR DOLE AND CONGRESSMAN GIBBONS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE DELEGATIONS.
+1 AM CERTAIN THAT THE PRESENTATIONS MADE BY YOUR ESTEEMED CHAMBER TO THE TWO DELEGATIONS CARRIED GREAT WEIGHT AND GAVE ADDITIONAL CREDIBILITY TO THE EFFORTS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT.
+THERE HAVE OF COURSE BEEN MANY OTHER OCCASIONS WHEN THE CHAMBER HAS ASSISTED OUR EFFORTS, INCLUDING A SUBMISSION ON HONG KONG'S TRADE PRACTICES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PROTECTION OF
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE GSP REVIEW,+ HE SAID,
AS REGARDS PROTECTIONIST SENTIMENTS IN THE U.S., MR HO SAID THERE WERE MORE ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL.
FIRST, THE PRESIDENT AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE SET THEMSELVES AGAINST PROTECTIONISM, AND A MORE VIGOROUS APPROACH TO REMOVING NON-TARIFF BARRIERS TO U.S. EXPORTS HAS BEEN INITIATED BY THE PRESIDENT.
/+AS PRIME