XN000022-1984-12-18 — Page 2

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1934

PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE

****

IT HAS NOW BEEN DECIDED THAT THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MRS MARGARET THATCHER, WILL BE HELD AT 8 AM ON DECEMBER 21, 1984 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER (INSTEAD OF 8.30 AM AS EARLIER ANNOUNCED).

ALL MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES ATTENDING THE PRESS CONFERENCE SHOULD BE SEATED BY 7.50 AM. THERE WILL BE A THREE-MINUTE PHOTO-CALL AF TER THE PRIME MINISTER ARRIVES AND BEFORE THE PRESS CONFERENCE BEGINS. ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS MUST LEAVE THE COUNCIL CHAMBER BEFORE THE PRESS CONFERENCE GETS UNDERWAY.

ALL OTHER ARRANGEMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE FOR +LIVE+ TELEVISION AND RADIO COVERAGE, REMAIN UNCHANGED.

+1984 - A GOOD YEAR FOR HK TRADE+

****

THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT 1984 WAS A BUSY YEAR, BUT A GOOD YEAR FOR HONG KONG IN TRADE MATTERS.

SPEAKING AT A MEET-THE-MEDIA SESSION, MR MACLEOD STATED THAT THE MAJOR EXTERNAL PROBLEM HONG KONG CARRIED FORWARD INTO 1985 WAS THE U.S. ORIGIN RULES ISSUE.

+I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE NEED TO KEEP OUR PROBLEMS WITH THE UNITED STATES IN PERSPECTIVE. CERTAINLY THE CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF 'CALLS, RESULTING IN EVER MORE CATEGORIES OF TEXTILES COMING UNDER RESTRAINT, HAVE CAUSED US CONCERN.

+CERTAINLY WE HAVE SERIOUS PROBLEMS OVER THE NEW ORIGIN RULES. BUT THESE DO NOT ALTER THE FACT THAT THE UNITED STATES IS OUR GREATLY VALUED, LARGEST TRADING PARTNER; AND THAT IT IS ALSO THE LARGEST INVESTOR IN HONG KONG INDUSTRY, A CONCRETE EXPRESSION OF CONFIDENCE.

+MOREOVER, THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION WAS MOST HELPFUL IN PERSUADING CONGRESS TO CONTINUE TO INCLUDE HONG KONG AND OTHERS IN THE TARIFF PREFERENCE SCHEME.+

MR MACLEOD POINTED OUT THAT THE MAIN, MOST VISIBLE ROLE OF THE TRADE DEPARTMENT HAS TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS AFFECTING, OR LIKELY TO AFFECT, HONG KONG'S TRADE.

HE ADMITTED THERE ALWAYS HAD BEEN PROBLEMS AND THERE PROBABLY ALWAYS WOULD BE PROBLEMS. +THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE REAL WORLD, + MR MACLEOD SAID.

HE CAUTIONED IT WAS IMPORTANT AT THE SAME TIME NOT TO BE MISLEU BY THIS.

/+THE OUTSTANDING