XN000022-1983-05-16 — Page 7

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MONDAY, MAY 16, 1983

MR MACLEOD REVEALED THAT HONG KONG HAD SUBMITTED

REPRESENTATIONS TO THE TRADE POLICY STAFF COMMITTEE IN WASHINGTON, AND HAD EMPHASISED THAT EXPERIENCE HAD SHOWN THAT EXCLUSION OF HONG KONG DID NOT BENEFIT LEAST DEVELOPED BENEFICIARIES.

+IN FACT THE MAIN BENEFICIARIES ARE THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, AND JAPAN IN PARTICULAR,

+WE HAVE ALSO ARGUED THAT RECOGNITION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE FACT THAT, IN CONTRAST WITH VIRTUALLY ALL OTHER COUNTRIES, HONG KONG IMPOSES NO TARIFFS OR QUANTITATIVE RESTRAINTS ON IMPORTS, AND IMPOSES REVENUE DUTIES ONLY ON TOBACCO, ALCOHOLIC LIQUORS, METHYL-ALCOHOL AND SOME OILS.

+THE USA IS HISTORICALLY A LEADER IN LIBERAL, FREE TRADE VIEWS, AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT HONG KONG'S OWN FREE TRADE RECORD WILL EVOKE A SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE, AND THAT THE FORECAST IMPROVEMENT IN WORLD TRADE WILL ALSO HELP TO MUTE THE PROTECTIONIST TENDENCIES WHICH ALSO EXIST IN THE USA,+ HE CONCLUDED.

SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY VISITING EUROPE, US

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THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR E.P. HO WILL LEAVE HONG KONG TOMORROW (MAY 17) FOR FAMILIARISATION VISITS TO EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES.

MR HO WILL VISIT LONDON TO HOLD DISCUSSIONS WITH LORD COCKFIELD, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE, AND OFFICIALS AT THE FORE IGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE AND THE DEPARTMENTS OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY.

IN GENEVA, MR HO WILL MEET MR ARTHUR DUNKEL, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE: DAME ANNE WARBURTON, UK PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE IN GENEVA AMBASSADOR MARCELO RAFFAELLI, CHAIRMAN OF THE TEXTILES SURVE ILLENCE BODY AND MR GAMAN! COREA, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT. HE WILL ALSO MEET REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER CONTRACTING PARTIES TO THE GATT.

THE VISIT TO BRUSSELS WILL INCLUDE MEETINGS WITH VISCOUNT ETIENNE DAVIGNON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE EEC COMMISSION WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS AND ENERGY MR D.M. ELLIOTT, UK DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE EEC, AND SENIOR OFFICIALS OF THE EEC COMMISSION.

AT THE END OF THE MONTH, MR HO WILL FLY TO THE UNITED STATES TO VISIT THE NEWLY-ESTABLISHED NEW YORK OFFICE HEADED BY MR BILL DORWARD, AND THE HK GOVERNMENT'S OFFICE IN WASHINGTON, WHERE HE WILL MEET SENIOR OFFICIALS OF THE US ADMINISTRATION.

MR HO WILL RETURN TO HONG KONG ON JULY 9.

THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR JUSTIN YUE, WILL BE ACTING AS SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY WHEN HE RETURNS FROM THE HONG KONG-SWEDEN TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS ON MAY 20.

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