4. I was sorry not to have seen Holdsworth when he called here not long ago; he will, I understand already be with you. But although we were ready for him, it so happened that on the morning of his call the department was heavily involved with the question about which you have probably heard, of a Swedish request for further restrictions on certain categories of Hong Kong textile exports. We had on that morning to accompany David Jordan to the Board of Trade for discussions about this subject. You may well have learnt that as a result of those discussions, Jordan visited Stockholm with the main purpose of extracting from the Swedes the trade statistics necessary for a full examination, both in Hong Kong and here, of the Swedish case. Jordan is now back in Hong Kong of course, and you may have heard already that the venue of the negotiations with the Swedes, which are timed to take place in early February, is likely to be Stockholm rather than London, although I understand that the Swedes have expressed some preference for going to Geneva. We do not yet know what line the Hong Kong Government will recommend should be followed at these negotiations, but we had useful exploratory discussions in the Board of Trade resulting in an unusual unanimity of views on the situation facing
The Board of Trade is most anxious that the Swedish case for restrictions should only be conceded if it has to be, and then, if we can maintain the position, in no more than the single category of anoraks, where Hong Kong does seem to be particularly vulnerable.
us.
5. I had meant to say in this News Letter something about the Hong Kong request for loan funds for the development of Kai-Tak Airport. But time is short if I am to catch the bag, as I wish to do particularly with this copy of Lord Shepherd's letter. All I will say therefore is, that although we are nearly ready with a submission to the Treasury about Kai-Tak, we have not actually yet sent it.
The fact is that it is extremely difficult to see what source there can be for this loan. I do not want to pre-judge the matter, but if as I have heard, there is rather more optimism in the Colony nowadays about the outcome of this Kai-Tak application than there has been in the past, then I scarcely think that optimism to be justified.
(W. S. Carter) Hong Kong Department
M. P. V. Hannam Esq.,
British Trade Commission in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong
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