XN000022-1980-03-12 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1980

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+THESE FIGURES WILL MAKE THE RAILWAY THE MOST HEAVILY UTILISED IN THE WORLD. WHEN THE FULL MTR SYSTEM IS OPERATIONAL, 40 PER CENT OF ALL HOMES AND 50 PER CENT OF WORK PLACES WILL BE WITHIN 10 MINUTES' WALK OF A MTR STATION.

HONG KONG 1980 WAS PRODUCED IN ENGLISH BY THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES, TRANSLATED BY THE CHINESE LANGUAGE DIVISION OF THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AND PRINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER.

JAPAN URGED TO LIFT TRADE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HK

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THE HONG KONG AND THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN HOLDING DISCUSSIONS FOR SOME TIME ON THE REMOVAL OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG PRODUCTS FROM THE JAPANESE GENERALISED SCHEME OF PREFERENCES.

THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, THE HON PETER TSAO SAID THIS TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON WONG PO-YAN ON THE STEPS BEING TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO PERSUADE THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT TO LIFT ITS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG IN EXCLUDING SEVEN HONG KONG ITEMS FROM ITS GSP.

MY

MR TSAO SAID: +THIS SUBJECT WAS ALSO RAISED BY THE HONG KONG DELEGATION AT THE JOINT MEETING OF THE JAPAN/HONG KONG BUSINESS CO-OPERATION COMMITTEES HELD IN TOKYO IN NOVEMBER 1979. DEPARTMENT HAS SINCE MADE FURTHER REPRESENTATIONS THROUGH THE JAPANESE CONSUL-GENERAL IN HONG KONG, SETTING OUT THE GROUNDS FOR THE REMOVAL OF THIS DISCRIMINATION.

+ON FEBRUARY 26, 1980, THE JAPANESE CONSUL-GENERAL CALLED AT THE DEPARTMENT TO DELIVER HIS GOVERNMENT'S REPLY IN PERSON. THAT REPLY INDICATED THAT THE EXISTING SCHEME WOULD TERMINATE AT THE END OF MARCH 1981, AND THAT A MAJOR REVIEW WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN SHORTLY WITH A VIEW TO FORMULATING A SCHEME TO SUCCEED THE CURRENT ONE.

+THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HAS CONFIRMED THAT HONG KONG'S REPRESENTATIONS WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THIS REVIEW,+ MR TSAO

SAID.

+THE LATEST OCCASION ON WHICH THE MATTER WAS RAISED WITH THE JAPANESE AUTHORITY WAS A MEETING THIS MORNING BETWEEN YOUR EXCELLENCY AND MR SONODA, THE FORMER JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER WHO IS PASSING THROUGH HONG KONG ON HIS WAY BACK FROM A TOUR OF THE MIDDLE-EAST AS THE PRIME MINISTER'S SPECIAL ENVOY, HE ADDED.

THE ORIGINAL SCHEME, PROMULGATED BY JAPAN IN 1972, EXCLUDED HONG KONG IN 96 ITEMS.

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