XN000022-1985-03-27 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1985

COMMENTING ON THE OVERSEAS OFFICES, MR CHEONG SAID WHILE HE CONSIDERED THE LEVEL OF OUR REPRESENTATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN MULTILATERAL ISSUES BOTH LAUDABLE AND ADEQUATE, HE DID NOT THINK THAT ENOUGH WAS BEING DONE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES AND THE EEC.

*WE NEED MORE MANPOWER OF SUFFICIENTLY HIGH CALIBRE TO INFLUENCE NATIONAL OPINION, WHICH HAS A MARKED EFFECT ON COMMUNITY POLICY, IN OUR FAVOUR,+ HE SAID.

HE STRESSED THAT THERE WAS A CASE FOR DOING MUCH MORE THAN WE HAD DONE IN THE WAY OF PROMOTING HONG KONG'S CASE, WHATEVER THE ISSUE MIGHT BE, PARTICULARLY AS WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POLITICAL CLOUT TO RETALIATE, OR EVEN THREATEN TO RETALIATE.

HE SUGGESTED THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUPERVISING THE OVERSEAS OFFICES SHOULD CLEARLY AND FIRMLY BE VESTED IN THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY.

AS REGARDS THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR, MR CHEONG SUGGESTED THAT A REVIEW SHOULD BE MADE FOR EACH MAJOR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY TO ASSESS THE SIZE OF THE IR PROBLEMS, TO ASCERTAIN THEIR IMPORT GROWTH PROSPECTS AND TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT LEGITIMATELY CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS IMPROVING THE VOLUME AND QUALITY OF THE IR PRODUCT.

HE SAID THIS EXERCISE SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN WITHIN THE EXISTING MACHINERY OF THE GOVERNMENT IN CONSULTATION WITH VARIOUS INDUSTRIES.

+ BELIEVE THIS EXERCISE WOULD BE WELL WORTH OUR WHILE : THERE IS NEVER ANY HARM IN TAKING STOCK, IN THE SENSE OF RE-EXAMINING THE MEASURES THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS INTRODUCED, HE SAID.

IN MAKING THE SUGGESTION, MR CHEONG EMPHASISED THAT HE WAS NOT SEEKING TO UPSET OR REPLACE THE GOVERNMENT'S TRADITIONAL ROLE OF POSITIVE NON-INTERVENTION.

THE QUESTION HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANSWERED WAS GIVEN A POSITIVELY NON-INTERVENTIONIST STANCE, WHETHER THE MEASURES AND SERVICES WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAD DIRECTLY PROVIDED HAD BEEN EFFECTIVE AND WHETHER THE ESSENTIAL BUSINESS SERVICES FOR WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WAS INDIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE WERE AS EFFECTIVE AS THEY SHOULD BE, IN THE LIGHT OF THE CHANGING ECONOMIC AND TRADING ENVIRONMENT OF THE 1980S.

FINALLY, MR CHEONG SAID HE SUPPORTED THE SETTING UP OF A COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO THE FEASIBILITY AND ADVISABILITY OF THE BORDER INDUSTRIAL ZONE AS ADVOCATED BY THE HON SIR S.Y. CHUNG AND THE HON ALLEN LEE.

HE FELT THAT THIS CONCEPT COULD BE OF VITAL LONG-TERM IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG AND SHOULD NOT BE DISMISSED AS JUST A MEANS THROUGH WHICH INDUSTRIALISTS WOULD SIMPLY MAKE MORE PROFITS WITHOUT DUE CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO THE WELFARE OF THE WORKFORCE.

/+GIVEN HONG

+