FO371-46259 — Page 122

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NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, OR USE ON CLUB TAPES BEFORE 23.30 HOURS G.M.T. ÓN TUESDAY, DECE PER 18th, 1945 (I,E, FOR MORNING PAPERS ON VEINSDAY, DECIZIET: 19th). NOT TO DE KROADCAST IN THE MIDNIGHT NEWS OF DECİLBER 18th-19th.

RESUMITION OF NORMAL COMMERCIAL TRADING WITH HONG KONG,

After careful consideration with all concerned, the

Corsander-in-Chief, Hong Kong has come to the conclusion that a start con and should be made without delay with the resumption of private trading in Hong Kong, and that the commercial community should thereafter be given every facility and assistance to expand and enlarge their activitiès so that they may play their full part in the restoration of the economy of the Colony.

With this object in view, firms not at present represented in the Colony will be given permission to send representatives there 02 2001. an possible. A Frese notice has already been issued regarding the

registration of applicants from certain British territories for facilities to return to Hong Kong, Applicants in foreign territories will be advised by the Government concerned of the procedure to be adopted when applying for a military permit to enter the Colony.

The Hong Kong Goverment are procuring esscatial quantities of certain supplies including food, agricultural requiroments, fishing and modical supplies, soap, clothing, footwear, houschalâ requirements, newsprint and other articles needed in respect of the period from the date of liberation until the late summer of 1946. There will be no objection to firms making arrangements at once to import supplementary supplies of goods in the above categories or supplies of any other description for resale (provided on import licence has been obtained), though it should be added that in certain cases, such as food and textiles, they may not, owing to shortage of supplies, find it possible to obtain any supplementary quantities.

Internal distribution of supplies procured by the Hong Kong Government will be entrusted to ordinary commercia) chanels.

It is necessary to establish exchange control in Hong Kong aa clsewhere. To make exchange control effective, it is neccsstay further to introduce an import licensing gyetem on the general lines of those in force in the United Kingdom and in all Colonie) territories.

All importing and distributing firms should, as soon as possible, make the neccsseny arrangements to resume their full activities in order to ensuze continuity of the Colony'a supplies. It is possible that some commodities mey still be subject to bulk purchasing arrangements by the Hong Kong Government after september, 1946. In that evcut, the firmanı will be notified in due course through Government channels.

COLOUTAL ONFIDE PRESS SECTION.

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