HC Deb 10 November 1960 vol 629 cc1193-4
5. Mr. Rankin

asked the President of the Board of Trade if his plans for assisting exporters will apply to traders who export to China.

Mr. Maudling

Yes, Sir. The services of my Department and the services of Her Majesty's representative in Peking are available to exporters to China.

Mr. Rankin

Would the right hon. Gentleman then consider three suggestions in order to help trade with China? Would he remove the rest of the embargoes on the trade that now exists between Britain and China? Would he also remove restrictions on Chinese exports into this country, and would he introduce into the Export Credits Guarantee Scheme for Eastern countries a greater flexibility than presently exists?

Mr. Maudling

Export credit guarantees are available for China at the moment without restriction. I think that is perfectly adequate. We must maintain strategic controls. As for an import licensing system, we must have the right to maintain the same degree of protection against Chinese imports as, for example, we have against Russian imports, but there is plenty of scope within existing arrangements for a great expansion of trade, and I am glad to say that our exports to China this year are showing a big increase.