to pursue a policy different from that that seems best
to Hong Kong but I believe that the Governor would (and indeed if he is to discharge his responsibilities in and for Hong Kong would have to) object if it were proposed that Hong Kong s ould be required to adopt the same policy as K.M.G. if he were convinced that that policy would prejudice Hong Kong's trading interests.
9. Hong Kong does not generally believe that its interests would be served by refusing to consult when asked to do so by an importing country or by refusing to consider an export restraint and saying always "Take action under Article XIX of the GATT".
10. Unless and until the use of article XIX can be
subjected to strict criteria and effectively policed Hong Kong could only suffer by taring such a line. Even if the action taken was discriminatory we should get little sympathy in the GATT and H.M.G. would not be able effectively to defend our interests.
11.
We therefore believe that unless and untilethe
use of Article XIX can be subjected to strict criteria and effectively policed(an object which, however desirable, we honestly believe to be visionary), we must continue with our present policy, and that to do so while H.M.G. is pursuing but has not yet succeeded in obtaining international acceptance of a different line inno way prejudices H.M.G's position.
12.
We believe that the Article XIX policy is unrealistic and that in any case it would be necessary to canvass support for it before putting it forward in the GATT.
Without support from the U.S.A. and the E.9.0. it will founder. In the meantime we consider that it
would be more realistic to go forward to the Cotton Textiles Committee prepared:
(a) to resist any american proposal if such is
made for the extension of the CTA to other
fibres;
(b) to accept the extension in time of the LTA
but to propose that the or consider improvements to it;
(c) if the question of voluntary restraints on
non-cotton textiles is raised to say that while these are undesirable in principle they have been instituted by negotiated agreement arising from the mutual acceptance of the obligation to consult under Article XXII; they are not therefore outside the GATT; and
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.