TNAG-0389-FCO40-435-Visit-of-trade-mission-of-the-London-Chamber-of-Commerce-and-1973 — Page 53

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Britain's commercial pre-eminence was based on the enjoyment

of a privileged position a chasse gardée in a vast

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colonial Empire. There could be no better example than

Hong Kong of the falsity of this idea. British exporters, British contractors have to fight for their place in your

market, against fierce competition and with varied fortune.

The value to Hong Kong of a market open to the traders and

investors of the world and yet given stability by the British

political connection is surely incalculable.

It would be a pity if this situation were taken too much for

granted. One thing is certain about the British to-day. Gone

for ever is any desire to impose themselves on anyone who

thinks that a traditional link with Britain has lost its value.

But the British are a funny people. They are ready to let

anyone who wants to do so go his own way : but at the same

time they have an acute sense of their historical responsibilities

and anyone who can justly appeal to it is certain of a response.

There are times when this response causes real loss and

hardship in Britain itself. The textile industry is a good

example where many people in Britain would say that we had

been excessively generous in offering markets at the expense

of our own industry. When the British Government feels

reluctantly obliged to impose certain restrictions, much is

heard of them. Nothing is heard of the far more frequent

occasions when it resists pressure for restrictions.

'Against this background it was no accident that in both

negotiations with the EEC, nearly all the most difficult

points related not to British interests at all, but to

those of other members of the Commonwealth, tropical sugar,

New Zealand butter, the special interests of Hong Kong and

other similar issues.

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