TNAG-0845-FCO40-1055-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 224

Mr Lambert, OID

(G_74A/3)

UNCLASSIFIED

HKK 026/1

RACOVND

2 6 APR 1979

(12)

16.51

TRY

Tiken

INDS

ik

K

1.

As background material for Mr Allan's visit to Hong Kong, I enclose our General Brief and a selection of press comments on the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA), compiled by the Hong Kong Government Information Services soon after agreement was reached in Lecember 1977 (please return the latter in due course since it is our only copy).

2. You will see that even at the time, most sections of opinion in Hong Kong accepted the MFA, albeit with a certain measure of resignation. Since then, fears that the IFA could perhaps result in recession and high levels of unemployment have not been realised. Textile manufacturers have shown themselves adept at making the best use of EC quotas while searching out new markets in the Third World; diversification too has proceeded apace, with textiles and clothing constituting only 44.5% of domestic exports by value in 1978, compared with 47% in 1977 and 53% in 1976. while textiles are still of great significance for Hong Kong, they are not a matter of current concern.

3.

For our own information, I should be grateful if you would provide brief details of r Allan's programme and the topics he intends to cover.

NA Ling

25 April 1979

Hong Kong and General Jepartment h272 233 3988

UNCLASSIFIED