XN000022-1985-04-17 — Page 23

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1985

+MUCH OF THE WORK WHICH THEY DO IN LIAISON, IN LOBBYING AND IN BUILDING UP INFORMED OPINION IN THEIR HOST COUNTRIES IS NOT READILY QUANTIFIABLE AND WE CANNOT ALWAYS EXPECT THAT EVEN OUR BEST EFFORTS WILL MEET WITH SUCCESS.

+THE FACT THAT WE ENCOUNTERED AN INTRANS IGENT AND UNREASONABLE ADMINISTRATION IN THE U.S.A. IN DISCUSSIONS OVER ITS COUNTRY-OF- ORIGIN RULES ON KNITWEAR IN NO WAY REFLECTS BADLY ON THE CAL | BRE OF THE COMMISSIONER IN NEW YORK OR HIS ABLE STAFF IN WASHINGTON, HE SAID.

INDEED, MR TSAO SAID, THEY HAD ONLY RECENTLY +SCORED A VERY NOTEWORTHY SUCCESS IN SECURING HONG KONG'S CONTINUED INCLUSION UNDER THE GENERALISED SCHEME OF PREFERENCES, A FEAT ACKNOWLEDGED AS REMARKABLE EVEN BY THOSE LOBBYISTS IN WASHINGTON WORKING FOR INTERESTS OPPOSED TO HONG KONG.

AND THERE WERE OTHER SUCCESSES, PERHAPS LESS OBVIOUS BUT NONETHELESS IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY IN THE TRADE FIELD BUT ALSO IN THE FIELDS OF REFUGEES, OF INVESTMENT, OF EDUCATION, AND OF THE QUIET DIPLOMACY OF CORRECTING MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HONG KONG AND ITS FUTURE IN ALL THOSE PARTS OF THE WORLD, WHERE WE HAD ESTABLISHED OFFICES, MR TSAO SAID.

REFERRING TO MR CHEONG'S POINT CONCERNING THE NEED, IN EUROPE PARTICULARLY, TO INFLUENCE +NATIONAL OPINION BECAUSE OF THE EFFECT THAT THIS COLLECTIVELY MIGHT HAVE ON EEC +COMMUNITY POLICY+, MR TSAO SAID: +1 AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE ARE AHEAD OF HIM.

+MINISTER (BRUSSELS) AND HIS STAFF MAKE REGULAR VISITS TO THE CAPITALS OF EUROPE AND ARE CORDIALLY RECEIVED AS HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVES AS THE VERY DETAILED REPORTS WE RECEIVED FROM THEM CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE.

+NONETHELESS, I AM GRATEFUL TO MR CHEONG FOR THIS TIMELY REMINDER THAT MINISTER (BRUSSELS) IS FORMALLY ACCREDITED ONLY VIA THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN BRUSSELS AND THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF GAINING ACCREDITATION IN OTHER MEMBER STATES OF THE EEC SHOULD BE PURSUED.+

MR TSAO SAID THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASING NEED OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. AS OTHER COUNTRIES ADJUSTED TO THE POST-AGREEMENT HONG KONG, TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG'S CASE WAS DETERMINEDLY REPRESENTED AND FAIRLY HEARD IN A VARIETY OF INTERNATIONAL FORUMS.

WHATEVER DECISIONS WERE TAKEN REGARDING HONG KONG, WHETHER WITHIN THE EEC, THE GATT, THE UNITED STATES, OR ELSEWHERE THEY MUST NOT BE TAKEN WITHOUT HONG KONG'S VOICE FIRST BEING HEARD.

/+IT MAY