WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1993
1.
HONG KONG WANTS CHINA'S MFN STATUS RENEWED
HONG KONG WANTS CHINA'S MOST FAVOURED NATION TRADING STATUS RENEWED THIS YEAR AND MAINTAINED IN FUTURE, THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR PATTEN SAID HIS DIRECT AND URGENT CONCERN WAS THE DAMAGE THAT MIGHT BE DONE TO HONG KONG IF CHINA'S MFN STATUS WAS WITHDRAWN.
SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MR PATTEN SAID DESPITE THE FACT THAT HONG KONG WAS A REMARKABLY RESILIENT PLACE, THERE WAS NO DOUBT AT ALL THAT THE IMMEDIATE DAMAGE DONE TO THE TERRITORY BECAUSE OF CHINA'S LOSS OF MFN STATUS WOULD BE VERY SUBSTANTIAL.
"OUR LATEST ESTIMATES SUGGEST IT WOULD HALVE OUR GROWTH RATE AND DESTROY NEARLY 70,000 JOBS.
STRAIGHTFORWARD. HONG
"80 MY MESSAGE ON THIS ISSUE IS VERY KONG WANTS CHINA'S MFN STATUS RENEWED THIS YEAR, AND MAINTAINED IN FUTURE," HE SAID.
MR PATTEN MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS WAS NOT JUST PLEADING HONG KONG'S OWN SPECIAL INTERESTS.
NOTING THAT THE US/HK POLICY ACT 1992 UNDERLINED THE U.S.'3 STRONG INTEREST IN THE ECONOMIC VITALITY, PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF THE TERRITORY, HE SAID IF MFN STATUS WERE WITHDRAWN, IT WOULD COST U.S. CONSUMERS U.S.$14 BILLION.
AN ESTIMATED RISK, НЕ
IF CHINA WERE TO RETALIATE, U.S. EXPORTS WORTH U.S.$8 BILLION, AND OVER 150,000 U.S. JOBS WOULD BE PUT AT ADDED.
"AS I SAID, THIS IS A WEAPON THAT CUTS BOTH WAYS."
THE GOVERNOR EXPRESSED APPRECIATION OF OVERSEAS HONG KONG,
INTEREST IN
IS
"HONG KONG IS IN MANY WAYS AN INTERNATIONAL CITY, AND IT. NATURAL THAT ALL THOSE WITH INTERESTS HERE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING OUR FUTURE PROSPECTS," HE SAID.
"BUT AS PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS SAID, THE JOINT DECLARATION AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG'S RETURN TO CHINA ARE MATTERS FOR CHINA AND BRITAIN TO WORK OUT."
THE GOVERNOR WARNED AGAINST DRAWING HONG KONG'S CONCERNS INTO THE MFN DEBATE.
CONSTITUTIONAL
A
"IF THOSE WHO WOULD HELP US HAVE IT IN MIND ΤΟ PULL OUR CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS INTO THE MFN DEBATE, I SHOULD LIKE TO MAKE VERY FRANK APPEAL TO THEM: PLEASE DON'T," HE SAID.
"YOU CAN'T