TNAG-0238-FCO40-274-Trade-relations-between-EEC-and-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 108

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Friday, October 9, 1970

110

HONG KONG AND THE COMMON MARKET

Colony Doing All It Can To Influcnco Events

******

Mr. J. Cator, Director of Commorco and Industry, gave an assuranco

today that, within the bounds of Hong Kong's constitutional position, the

Colony was nogotiating, arguing and sooking to influence ovonts arising out

of Britain's application to join the European Economic Community.

Ho told the Legislative Council Hong Kong was being advised,

supported, assisted, and whore nocossary, actod for by the British Governmont,

and if those efforts wore not always apparent, it was in the nature of commerical

diplomacy "to shun the spotlight.

Ho observed that neither Hong Kong nor any other Commonwealth

mombors wore actually participating in the British nogotiations with the

F.E.C. but Commonwealth interests were not boing ignored.

He agreed with a suggestion that if it provod impossible to accord

Hong Kong associato status with an onlarged EEC aftor Britain's ontry, tho

transition poriod should be as long as possible.

But he noted tho share of Hong Kong exports going to Britain in the first oight months of this year was 11.6 por cont compared with 20 per cont

in 1961, when Britain made her first bid to ontor tho FEC.

Of oven more significanco, and something of a "silver lining" in the

"darker clouds on the horizon" roforred to by the Governor, was the fact

that in the same period, the share of Hong Kong exports going to the FFC

had risen from six per cont in 1961 to 11.6 por cont in the first eight

months of this year.

HIL KEV

"I am