RESTRICTED
China"), South Korea and South Vietnam, American aggression, etc., from the Cubans and the Communists which was duly answered. In both these cases Swaminathan displayed considerable skill in keeping down the temperature. Fortunately no-one mentioned colonialist oppression in Hong Kong, although I will not be at all surprised if that is not trotted out at the appropriate moment to try to do us (1.e. Hong Kong, not the United Kingdom) down.
Third Session of the Committee
12.
A subject which was much discussed in the corridors but was never raised at any formal meeting was what was to be done about the third (long) session of the Committee at the end of June. All those who possessed even an inkling of realism recognised that, even if the F.3. lists were deposited with OCD tomorrow, the process of consideration in the Paris Group would not have reached a stage by the end of June to enable detailed consultations to be opened with developing countries. The obvious course is, therefore, to postpone this long meeting until the autumn and either to hold only a short meeting at the end of June or to put it back until just before the 9th Session of the Trade and Development Board in August.
13. However that might be no Group was willing to take on itself the burden of proposing a change in the sacred timetable and the official position is, therefore, that the end-June long session still stands. Nevertheless, it should be noted that paragraph 4 of the decision in the Annex invites the Secretary General to consult informally with the Chairman and the Bureau "to facilitate the proceedings of the third session when it assembles". It has not escaped attention that this procedure could be usel not just to establish working groups but to change the date or to shorten the duration (or both) of the third session if that is shown to be desirable.
Ken: Keng
14. I am writing a separate memorandum about discussions I had with various contacts on the position of Hong Kong
DJCJ/mms
Distribution:
Director, Hong Kong (3 copies)
A.L.; A.B.
Mr. O.H. Kemmis (Board of Trade, CRE1)
Mr. B. Fall (UKMIS, Geneva)
without encls.
Mr. H. Stewart (eng kong Department, F.C.0.)