XN000022-1974-05-17 — Page 5

FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1974

NEW JOB IN GENEVA FOR HONG KONG TRADE NEGOTIATOR

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HONG KONG'S LEADING TRADE NEGOTIATOR, MR. BILL DORWARD, OF THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT, LEFT FOR GENEVA TODAY (FRIDAY) TO TAKE UP NEW DUTIES CONNECTED WITH THE RECENTLY-FORMED TEXTILES SURVEILLANCE BODY.

THE BODY HAS BEEN SET UP BY THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE (GATT) TO OVERSEE THE WORKINGS OF THE NEW ARRANGEMENT COVERING INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN TEXTILES, WHICH CAME INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 1 THIS YEAR.

THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE TEXTILES SURVEILLANCE BODY CONSISTS OF AN INDEPENDENT CHAIRMAN AND EIGHT REPRESENTATIVES WHICH FOR THIS YEAR HAVE BEEN NOMINATED BY THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, PAKISTAN, YUGOSLAVIA, SWEDEN AND MEXICO.

ITS COMPOSITION ALSO ALLOWS FOR +ALTERNATE+ REPRESENTATIVES AND MR. DORWARD WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS CAPACITY, AT THE INVITATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA.

MR. DORWARD REPRESENTED HONG KONG THROUGHOUT LAST YEAR'S MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WHICH LED TO THE NEW ARRANGEMENT COVERING WORLD TRADE IN TEXTILES. DURING THAT PERIOD HE OCCUPIED THE POST OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR (COMMERCIAL RELATIONS) IN THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT, SERVING AS THE GOVERNMENT'S CHIEF TRADE NEGOTIATOR.

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FOR HIS NEW DUTIES IN GENEVA HE WILL HAVE THE DIPLOMATIC STATUS OF A COUNSELLOR IN THE BRITISH MISSION. THIS POST WILL BE IN ADDITION TO THAT OCCUPIED FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS BY MR. GERRY PEARSON WHO SERVES AS COUNSELLOR FOR HONG KONG AFFAIRS IN GENEVA AND COVERS THE ACTIVITIES OF THE VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS SITED THERE.

MR. DORWARD COMMENTED: +i HAVE SPENT AS MUCH TIME IN GENEVA IN THE LAST YEAR AS I HAVE IN HONG KONG AND THE COMMITMENT Is NOW SUCH THAT IT IS ONLY SENSIBLE FOR ME TO BE BASED THERE. I SHALL BE CONCERNED PRINCIPALLY WITH THE WORKINGS OF THE TEXTILES SURVEILLANCE BODY, BUT WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE FOR 'SUCH OTHER DUTIES IN EUROPE CONCERNING HONG KONG'S TRADE INTERESTS AS TIME WILL ALLOW.+

IN HONG KONG, MR. LAWRENCE MILLS HAS BEEN APPOINTED AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY CCOMMERCIAL RELATIONS) IN PLACE OF MR. DORWARD. MR. HILLS HAS JUST RETURNED FROM WASHINGTON AFTER LEADING A DELEGATION WHICH HAS NEGOTIATED A NEW AGREEMENT ON TEXTILE EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES.

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