XN000022-1985-09-12 — Page 2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1985

HONG KONG GETS ANTI-PROTECTIONIST MESSAGE TO U.S. MEDIA

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AMERICAN MEDIA INTEREST IN THE CASE AGAINST PROTECTIONISM IS INCREASINGLY STRONG AS U.S. LEGISLATORS MOVE TOWARDS A DECISION ON THE JENKINS BILL NOW BEFORE CONGRESS,

CALLS TO HONG KONG'S COMMISSIONER FOR COMMERCIAL AFFAIRS, IN NEW YORK, MR WILLIAM DORWARD, FROM PRESS AND TELEVISION REPORTERS HAVE INCREASED STEADILY AND JOURNALISTS FROM THE UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN VISITING HONG KONG.

DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, WENT COAST TO COAST ACROSS AMERICA YESTERDAY ON THE IMPORTANT"+MORNING IN AMERICA+ SHOW WHICH IS CARRIED BY 250 RADIO STATIONS. HE AND OTHER SEN100 TRADE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS HAVE ALSO GIVEN MANY INTERVIEWS IN RECENT WEEKS TO VISITING AMERICAN JOURNALISTO AND LOCALLY-BASED CORRESPONDENTS.

AMONG THE TV CREWS TO VISIT WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IS ONE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA +HOME TERRITORY+ OF THE POWERFUL PROTECTIONIST LOBBY.

IN AMERICA, WITHIN THE LAST FEW DAYS MR DORWARD HAS GIVEN INTERVIEWS IN WHICH THE HONG KONG VIEW WAS STRESSED TO +BUSINESS TODAY+ AND TO +PACIFIC SHIPPER+ MAGAZINE. THE FORMER HAS AN IMPORTANT AND INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS READERSHIP, WHILE THE LATTER IS PUTTING TOGETHER A STORY ON HOW THE JENKINS BILL WOULD DRASTICALLY AFFECT THE U.S. SHIPPING INDUSTRY,

MORE INFORMATION ON THE DANGERS OF PROTECTIONISM WAS GIVEN TO FREELANCERS AND OTHER CALLERS WHO HAVE BEEN WRITING ARTICLES AND PREPARING PROGRAMMES ON HOW TRADE WOULD BE DESTABILISED SHOULD THE BILL PASS.

IN WASHINGTON ONE PUBLICATION TO HAVE BEEN BRIEFED WAS THE +EAST ASIA EXECUTIVE REPORT+ WHICH WILL RUN AN ARTICLE IN ITS OCTOBER ISSUE AND WHICH, IN ITS SEPTEMBER 188UE, PRAISED HONG KONG'S COPYRIGHT LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY AS AMONG THE WORLD'S BEST AND MOST STRINGENT.

+THE HEIGHTENED MEDIA INTEREST IN THE UNITED STATES IS WELCOME INDICATION THAT THE DANGERS OF PROTECTIONISM IN GENERAL, AND OF THE JENKINS BILL IN PARTICULAR, ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY EVIDENT, SAID MR MACLEOD.

+WE HAVE BEEN STRESSING THE DANGERS THAT ARE BEING POSED TO THE UNITED STATES' OWN INTERESTS AND TO THE WORLD TRADING SYSTEM GENERALLY AND WE WILL GO ON DOING SO TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MES' IGE GETS HOME.+

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