XN000022-1981-12-23 — Page 15

WEDNE

5. 1981

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+ON CUTBACKS ON HONG KONG'S QUOTAS, WE HAVE REFUSED TO CEPT THAT ANY UNILATERAL AUTHORITY BE VESTED IN THE EEC ON THIS. har i HAVE AGREED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE EEC'S STATED POSITION ON THIS IN OUR FUTURE AGREEMENT, BUT ANY ARRANGEMENTS WILL HAVE TO BE MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE.

+ALL IN ALL, I WOULD SAY THAT THE NEW PROTOCOL EXTENDING THE MFA IS NOT AS GOOD AS WE WOULD LIKE BUT NOT AS BAD AS, AT ONE TIME, WE EXPECTED. THE NEW PROTOCOL BUILDS IN ADDITIONAL DISCIPLINE F^{ THE INVOCATION OF RESTRAINTS AND PRESERVES THE ORIGINAL TEXT OF THE MFA. THERE ARE NO MODIFICATIONS TO THE MFA AND WE HAVE, AT LAST, GOT RID OF THE WELL-INTENTIONED BUT HEAVILY ABUSED 30-CALLED *REASONABLE DEPARTURES' CLAUSE.

+BUT WE MUST REMEMBER THAT MFA 3 IS JUST THE BEGINNING. WE N HAVE TO TRANSLATE ITS PROVISIONS INTO THE PRACTICALITIES OF NEW BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH OUR TRADING PARTNERS IN THE COURSE OF NEXT YEAR. THIS WILL BE THE REAL TEST OF ANY SUCCESS WE HAVE ACHIEVED IN THE MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS.

+A FINAL WORD ABOUT DEVELOPING EXPORTING COUNTRY CO- ORDINATION AND CO-OPERATION. THE DOUBTERS WHO BELIEVED THAT LDC UNITY WAS A PIPE-DREAM HAVE BEEN SURPRISED - BUT NOT HALF AS SURPRISED AS THE IMPORTING COUNTRIES WHO BASED THEIR STRATEGY ON THE BELIEF THAT OUR UNITY WOULD FALL TO PIECES AT THE LAST OMENT. THIS WAS PATENTLY NOT THE CASE.

+THROUGHOUT, WE MET EVERY DAY TO DISCUSS TOGETHER OUR SPECIAL INTERESTS, CONCERNS, PLANS AND STRATEGY, OPENLY AND FRANKLY.

+THERE WAS GIVE AND TAKE ON ALL SIDES AND THE RESULTANT STRENGTH THAT WE ACHIEVED THROUGH REMAINING UNITED WAS A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN RESISTING THE MORE EXTREME DEMANDS OF THE IMPORTING COUNTRIES AND SECURING A BALANCED PROTOCOL OF EXTENSION TO THE MFA.+

TRAFFIC CHANGES

***

A SECTION OF MORRISON STREET BETWEEN DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL AND WING LOK STREET WILL BE CLOSED TO TRAFFIC FOR ABOUT THREE DAYS FROM 10 AM ON FRIDAY (DECEMBER 25) TO ALLOW FOR TELEPHONE CABLE LAYING WORKS.

AT THE SAME TIME, A WESTBOUND SECTION OF ABERDEEN MAIN ROAD WILL BE DESIGNATED AS A PUBLIC LIGHT BUS CLEARWAY TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC CIRCULATION.

THE CLEARWAY WILL EXTEND 25 METRES WEST OF AP LEI CHAU : IDGE ROAD TO A POINT ABOUT 110 METRES EAST OF ABERDEEN OLD MAIN S ET.

PUBLIC LICHT FUSES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO STOP FOR PASSENGERS BETWEET 7 AM AD 12 MIDNIGHT DAILY WITHIN THE RESTRICTED ZONE.

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