XN000022-1973-01-24 — Page 18

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Wednesday, January 24, 1973

"In this connection I was very glad to know that the Government

of Japan has recently introduced a number of measures designed to promote

imports, including reductions in certain tariffs and the removal of

quantitative imports restrictions on other products. We in Hong Kong

welcome these moves, which, if I might say so, are typical of the wisdom

of Japanese economic administration. If they allow Hong Kong exports

to improve their performance in Japan they will also improve that

highly fragile commodity good-will,

Special Plea

*This brings me to the question of United Nations Generalised

Here I must make a special plea

Preferences for Developing Countries.

to the Japanese Government to end the discrimination against Hong Kong

involved in the so-called Hong Kong Exceptions List. This is a special

list of 96 items in respect of which Hong Kong alone among developing

countries is excluded from preference in the Japanese market. I am not

asking for special favours for Hong Kong but only that we should not be

discriminated against as compared with our close competitors. The

trading and economic links between Japan and Hong Kong may become strained

if they are too one-sided. One-quarter of Hong Kong's imports come from

Japan, one-thirty-third of our exports go to Japan

discrimination could provoke resentment.

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in such circumstances

"Many