TNAG-0299-FCO40-335-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalized-tariffs-preferences--1971 — Page 183

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

?

4.

should be as wide as possible and as

generous as the size of the Japanese

market would justify; and indeed the

importance of Hong Kong as an export

market for Japanese goods.

A further point which you might throw

in if you judge the impact likely to be

favourable (we quite see that it could be the

reverse) is that an adverse decision on

Japan's part might also have the effect of

inducing the United States to exclude Hong

Kong altogether from their scheme. Hong Kong

would then have to face discrimination in

favour of her many competitors amongst the

developing countries in her most important

market. While those Japanese industries

that export goods other than textiles and

footwear to the United States would no doubt

welcome the exclusion of Hong Kong from the

US scheme, the protection of the exports of developed countries is wholly contrary to the

objectives of the generalised preferences

scheme

5.

assim

Governor Hong Kong will no doubt comment

in particular on the value (if any) to Hong Kong

of purely "proforma" inclusion by Japan. we

ourselves would not have thought this would

#

achieve very much, given that the US and other

donors would thereby be given a respectable

excuse for purely token inclusion of Hong Kong

не

in their sehemes. Hong Kong will also no

нка

doubt say how strongly they feel the long-

standing proposal for a visit by their

representatives to Tokyo should be pressed.

•