TNAG-0845-FCO40-1055-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 103

$ 100

сс

RESTRICTED

this to

A. Cooper CREI D。 î

D. Crompton CT DOI

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG 1422662 SEP 79

TO ROUTINE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1285 OF 14 SEPTEMBER

INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

MR BLAKER'S VISIT TO HONG KONG

SUGGESTED PROGRAMME.

1. WE WISH TO INCLUDE AMONG THE ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE ON 24 SEPTEMBER THE EFFECTS OF THE COMMUNITY'S,

TEXTILE POLICY IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF APPLICATION. FOR THIS PURPOSE THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, WHO IS SCHEDULED TO REPORT ON THE EFFECTS TO DATE ON OUR TRADE WITH THE EEC OF THE 1978 AGREEMENT IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 17 OCTOBER, WILL ATTEND THE MEETING.

2. COMMUNITY TRADE STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE TRADE TAKEN AWAY FROM US HAS GONE MERELY TO OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. WE THINK THIS JUSTIFIES A REVIEW OF THE AGREEMENT. IF THE CUTBACKS ON HONG KONG HAVE NEITHER STABILISED IMPORTS NOR BENEFITTED NEWCOMERS PEOPLE HERE BELIEVE THERE IS A CASE FOR ASKING THE EEC TO RESTORE CUR FORMER ACCESS RIGHTS AND FOR SEEKING YOUR SUPPORT IN THIS.

MACL SHOSE

FILES

SEAD

HK & GD

P & CD

PS/MR BLAKER

MR MURRAY

RESTRICTED