CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
ROUTINE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TO HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 142
21 FEBRUARY 1969
(MTU 15/393/1)
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CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 142 OF 21 FEBRUARY
REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO UKMIS GENEVA AND UKDEL BRUSSELS.
YOUR SAVINGRAM NUMBER 9 OF 4 JANUARY.
GENERALISED PREFERENCES FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
YOU WILL KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN CONCERNED AT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE INITIAL OFFER TO BE TABLED BY THE E E CIN OECD ON 1 MARCH MIGHT EXCLUDE HONG KONG EITHER EXPLICITLY OR IMPLICITLY FROM
THE PREFERENCE SCHEME. WE HAVE REPEATEDLY MADE OUR VIEWS CLEAR BOTH TO THE E E C COMMISSION AND TO THE E E C REPRESENTATIVES IN THE OECD AD HOC GROUP. AS THE FINAL DECISION ON THE TERMS OF THE EE C OFFER WILL BE TAKEN BY THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS WE WERE CONSIDERING IN ADDITION THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE FORMAL APPROACHES IN THE EEC CAPITALS.
2. THE POSITION, HOWEVER, NOW APPEARS TO HAVE CHANGED. FROM INFORMATION WE HAVE RECEIVED IN CONFIDENCE FROM THE E E C COMMISSION, AND WHICH HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE COUNSELLOR (HONG KONG), UKMIS GENEVA, WE KNOW THAT THEIR SUBMISSION TO THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS ORIGINALLY SUGGESTED THAT THE PREFERENCES SHOULD QUOTE AS A FIRST APPROACH UNQUOTE BE EXTENDED TO THE GROUP OF 77. THIS PASSAGE HAS NOW BEEN OMITTED AND IT IS PROPOSED THAT THE E E C SPOKESMAN IN THE OE C D GROUP SHOULD EXPLAIN ORALLY THAT PREFERENCES WOULD BE EXTENDED AUTOMATICALLY TO THE GROUP OF 77 AND THAT THE INCLUSION OF COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THIS GROUP WHICH REQUESTED IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
3.
WE ARE NOT YET CERTAIN IF THIS WILL BE APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL
E, C D OF MINISTERS BUT, IF IT IS, THE E E C WILL ENTER THE O DISCUSSIONS WITHOUT ANY COMMITMENT EITHER TO EXCLUDE OR INCLUDE HONG KONG. THIS SEEMS TO US THE BEST RESULT WE ARE LIKELY TO OBTAIN AT THIS STAGE. PROVIDED THEREFORE THAT THERE IS NO FURTHER
/CHANGE
LAST
REF.
LEXI
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CONFIDENTIAL