XN000022-1974-09-06 — Page 2

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1974

HONG KONG STRENGTHENS REPRESENTATION IN E.E.C.

MR. CLAUDE BURGESS NAMED MINISTER FOR HK COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS IN CRUSSELS *E*R

HONG KONG IS TO INCREASE ITS REPRESENTATION IN THE EUROPEAN ECCNOMIC COMMUNITY, WITH THE CREATION OF A NEW POST OF MINISTER FOR HONG KONG COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS IN BRUSSELS, THE SEAT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. DAY 1D JORDAN, SAID THAT THE NEW POST WILL BE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT OF HONG KONG'S OVERSEAS COMMERCIAL RELATIONS. +TLE POST+, HE SAID, +HAS BEEN CREATED CECAUSE OF THE INCREASING

THE EEC IS NOW IN ORTANCE OF THE COMMON MARKET FOR HONG KONG. HONG KONG'S SECOND LARGEST EXPORT MARKET, TAKING SOME 30 PER CENT OF OUR DOMESTIC EXPORTS.+

MR. CLAUDE BURGESS, A FORMER COLONIAL SECRETARY, HAS ACCEPTED THE APPOINTMENT AND WILL TAKE UP HIS DUTIES SHORTLY. MR. BURGESS SERVED IN HONG KONG FOR 30 YEARS. AFTER HE RETIRED, HE TOOK UP A SENIOR POST IN THE SECRETARIAT OF EFTA CTHE EUROPEAN FREE TR. DE ASSOCIATION) AND HE REPRESENTED EFTA IN BRUSSELS DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR BRITISH ENTRY INTO THE COMMUNITY.

SINCE 1968 HONG KONG HAS BEEN REPRESENTED IN BRUSSELS AT

CO INSELLOR LEVEL BY MR. PAT DODGE.

+HOWEVER,+ SAID MR. JORDAN, +DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE EEC IN THE PAST TUO YEARS, ESPECIALLY THE INCREASED COMPLEXITY AND VOLUME OF WORK WHICH HAVE ARISEN AS A RESULT OF THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY BY THE ACCESSION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, DENMARK AND IRELAND, LED THE GOVERNMENT TO RE-EXAMINE THE QUESTION OF HO IG KONG'S REPRESENTATION AND TO CONCLUDE THAT IT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE FOR MR. DODGE ALONE TO COVER THE MANY ASPECTS REQUIRING Α1 ΓΕΝΤΙΟΝ,

+I BELIEVE THAT MR. BURGESS AND MR. DODGE WILL FORM A STRONG TEAM TO LOOK AFTER HONG KONG'S INTERESTS IN THE COMMUNITY.+

MR. JORDAN SAID THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE EXPERIENCED HONG KONG PEOPLE IN ELROPE TO COMPLEMENT THE EFFORTS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS MAKING O OUR BEHALF.

/+AMONG THE

*