TNAG-0172-FCO40-208-United-Kingdom-Productivity-and-Efficiency-Study-effect-on-H-1969 — Page 76

منت

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4. MORE GENRAL POINTS MADE WERE :-

(1) CONTRARY TO WHAT WAS SAID IN REPORT ABOUT COMMONWEALTH AS A

WHOLE, HONG KONG IMPOSES NO PROTECTIVE DUTIES ON U.K. EXPORTS OF

TEXTILES OR ANY OTHER PRODUCT BUT SHE DOES ACCORD PREFERENCES TO

U.K. ON PRODUCTS ON WHICH THERE ARE REVENUE DUTIES, INCLUDING

VEHICLES SEMICOLON

COTTON

2) HONG KONG'S CURRENT COTTON TEXTILE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE U.K.

EXPIRE AT END OF 1978. IT WOULD BE A VERY SERIOUS MATTER, WITH

SEVERE POLITICAL REPERCUSSIONS, IF THIS WERE TO BE CHANGED

UNILATERALLY SEMICOLON

(3) ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS IN THE PAST HONG KONG HAS CONSENTED TO

ALTER TERMS OF AGREEMENTS TO ITS OWN DISADVANTAGE AT THE U.K.'S

REQUEST SEMICOLON

(4) THE U.K. STILL HAS RESPONSIBILITES FOR HONG KONG AS A DEPENDENT

TERRITORY. SHE RECEIVES NO FINANCIAL AID FROM ANY SOURCE AND PAYS A

SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO DEFENCE.

5. OUR OWN ANALYSIS OF THE POSITION, ON THE BASIS OF SUCH INFORMATION AS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TOOBTAIN, AGREES BROADLY WITH THE

POINTS SET OUT IN PARAGRAPH 2 ABOVE. WE CONSIDER THAT HONG

KONG'S POSITION WOULD BE DAMAGED IF THE REPORT'S PROPOSALS WERE

ADOPTED AND, IF THEY WERE TO BE ENDORSED BY M.M.G. AND PUT INTO

EFFECT, WE WOULD HOPE THAT STEPS WOULD BE TAKEN, AFTER APPROPRIATE

CONSULTATIONS, TO MITIGATE THESE DAMAGING CONSEQUENCES.

SIR D. TRENCH

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION

HONG KONG DEPT

COMMODITIES DEPT

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