§ 6. Mr. LOOKERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he can give 1384 the House any information as to the result of the negotiations which have recently taken place in the cessation of the Canton boycott of British goods, and particularly of British trade from Hong Kong?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Ormsby-Gore)The discussions to which my hon. Friend refers have been purely unofficial and have been conducted by representatives of the Chinese merchants in Hong Kong on the one hand, and of the strike committee in Canton on the other. I understand that these discussions are still proceeding, and I am not able to say whether any progress has been made towards the re-establishment of friendly relations between Hong Kong and Canton.
§ Mr. LOOKERIs there nothing the hon. Gentleman's Department can do to assist in bringing those negotiations to a successful issue?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREAs I have said, these are unofficial negotiations, and I think that at the present stage it would be far more likely to result in good if they were left in that form.
§ Mr. LOOKERIS it not a fact that these negotiations have resulted in a deadlock?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREThat is not my information to date.
§ Mr. PALINGCan the hon. Gentleman say whether this boycott has succeeded in damaging British trade to any considerable extent?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREOh, yes. This boycott has damaged the trade very much, and caused grave anxiety to the Government of Hong Kong.