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CONFIDENTIAL
OUTWARD TELEGRAM
FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (The Secretary of State)
TO HONG KONG (Sir D. Trench)
Cypher
HWB 6/18
Sent 12 June 1967. 18242
CONFIDENTIAL
No.1186
Addressed to Governor Hong Kong
Repeated for information to: UKDEL Brussels
Your telegram No.601
UKMIS Geneva
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E.E.C, Consultations.
We realise that reiteration of 1961 request for Associate status has some presentational merit in Hong Kong. But we see no advantage (and possibly some disadvantage) in putting to the Six a proposal which we know in advance to be unacceptable. The Six's view that it would be inappropriate to apply Part IV of the Rome Treaty to the case of Hong Kong was made particularly clear during the last negotiations. In our view, it will be necessary to justify, by reference to changed circumstances, any request on behalf of Hong Kong for more than we were asking when the negotiations broke down in 1963.
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We are, of course, anxious to take account of Hong Kong's interests in any way we can. We take your point about need for safeguards against the application of common commercial policies, particularly in the field of textiles, and would be prepared to consider this problem with you in the proposed discussions,
We will telegraph as soon as possible our suggestions as to venue and date of discussions,
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(Passed to D.S.A.0. Outward Bag Room for repetition
to Brussels and Geneva)
Distribution H.K.
<
W.I.D. 'C'
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DISTRIBUTION
Copy also sent to:
Hong Kong Government Office
Mr. P. Sedgwick
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