TNAG-0845-FCO40-1055-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 39

Question:

What will be the end result of Premier Hua Kuofeng's visit

to Britain next month?

Mr Blaker: What will be the result of his visit? I believe and I hope

that it will further cement the excellent relations that we already

have. We will no doubt have a wide range of discussions as well as

all the visits that somebody in Chairman Hua's position normally

makes when he comes to London on an official visit.

Question:

Do you foresee any discussions on Hong Kong's future with

Chairman Hua ?

Mr Blaker: Well, I don't think that you could expect me to say at this point

what we will be talking about with Chairman Hua.

Question: Well there have been rumours about EEC imposing more restrictive

measures with Hong Kong's textiles imports. What is Britain's

position on this ?

Mr Blaker: I don't know about rumours about EEC imposing a more restrictive

regime on Hong Kong's textiles exports. We will do our best to

protect Hong Kong's interest in general in trade discussions in

the EEC. I have had a number of representations since I've been in

Hong Kong about the present regime for Hong Kong's textile exports.

I have replied to people who have discussed this with me but I

think that it would be unrealistic to expect that we could change

the existing arrangements which after all we've agreed between the

EEC countries not long ago. But what we have succeeded in doing,

the British Government has succeeded in doing, is to improve the

arrange