UNCLASSIFIED
status of Macau might be there was no question of Macau
being treated more favourably than Hong Kong in the Community. He would not allow it.
Long Term Future
5.
Reported separately.
Multi Fibre Arrangement
6. Miss Lydia Dunn asked whether Hong Kong could look to HMG to ensure that any successor to the present MFA would be fair and reasonable to Hong Kong. Lord Carrington said that when the matter was discussed in the EC the UK would certainly have regard to the special problems of Hong Kong and ensure that they were fully understood and taken into account. The unofficial members would not expect him to go further than that. In response to further questions Lord Carrington said that the textile industry in the UK was in very severe difficulties. It had been forecast that there would be 180000 redundancies in 1981, though this was not the fault of Hong Kong. As regards discussion in the EC, the UK would be occupying the Presidency in the second half of this year. There were both advantages and dis- advantages in that.
31 March 1981
cc:
PS/Governor (for further distribution in Hong Kong) Mr March - Senior Trade Commissioner
Hong Kong and General Dept, FCO
ECD(E), FCO
PS/Sofs
Sir E Youde
Mr Fenn
Mr McLaren
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