XN000022-1990-04-21 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1990

HE SAID: "IT IS A VERY REAL PRACTICAL PROBLEM IN THAT PEOPLE ARE LEAVING HONG KONG AT A RATE WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO COPE WITH AND STILL MAINTAIN STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG OVER THE YEARS AHEAD. WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE LEAVING HONG KONG NOT BECAUSE THEY WANT ΤΟ IN MANY CASES TO MOVE AWAY BUT TO HAVE AN INSURANCE POLICY FOR THE FUTURE.

"IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THAT PROBLEM WE HAVE TO TRY ΤΟ DEVISE PRACTICAL WAYS IN WHICH IT CAN BE DEALT WITH. PRACTICAL WAYS TO DEAL WITH A PRACTICAL PROBLEM. THE UNITED KINGDOM'S APPROACH TO THIS IS ΤΟ OFFER THOSE PEOPLE A PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE OF LEAVING HONG KONG BY REMAINING IN HONG KONG WITH A BRITISH PASSPORT, SOME OF THE KEY PEOPLE IN SOME OF THE KEY AREAS.

"THE JOINT DECLARATION MAKES IT CLEAR THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO LEAVE HONG KONG AND TO TRAVEL FREELY. THAT IS AN IMPORTANT BLEMENT AND CLEARLY IF THAT NEED ARISES THEN THEY CAN MAKE USE OF THEIR PASSPORT IN ORDER TO DO JUST THAT.

"BUT I HOPE THAT THE PASSPORT WILL NOT BE NEEDED FOR THAT PURPOSE. IT IS AIMED TO KEEPING PEOPLE IN HONG KONG," SIR DAVID SAID.

HK VIEWS SHARED AT MINISTERIAL MEETING

HONG KONG'S VIEWS ON TEXTILES AND SAFEGUARDS IN THE URUGUAY ROUND NEGOTIATIONS WERE WIDELY SHARED AT AN INFORMAL MINISTERIAL MEETING IN MEXICO ON THE URUGUAY ROUND MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS.

COMMENTING ON THE MEETING, WHICH WAS HELD AT PUERTO VALLARTA ON APRIL 18 TO 20, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR JOHN CHAN, SAID MINISTERS HAD A FRANK EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON HOW TO REMOVE OBSTACLES TO PROGRESS IN THE URUGUAY ROUND NEGOTIATIONS IN RESPECT OF TEXTILES AND AGRICULTURE, GATT RULES AND DISCIPLINES, AND NEW ISSUES SUCH AS TRADE IN SERVICES.

"ON TEXTILES, WE WERE ENCOURAGED BY THE RENEWED SUPPORT BY THE VAST MAJORITY OF GATT MEMBERS FOR THE RETURN OF THE SECTOR ΤΟ GATT RULES BY PHASING OUT THE EXISTING MULTIFIBRE ARRANGEMENT (MFA) RESTRICTIONS.

"ALTHOUGH NO CONCLUSION WAS REACHED ON HOW THIS SHOULD BE ACHIEVED, THERE WAS LITTLE SUPPORT FOR THE GLOBAL QUOTA SYSTEM PROPOSED BY THE USA AND CANADA.

/"IN RESPECT