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CYPHER/CAT A
TELEGRAM NO 670
CONFIDENTIAL
PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TO HONG KONG
3 OCTOBER 1969
( HKK 6/304/1)
CONFIDENTIAL
NEUTRAL
ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 679 OF 3 OCTOBER
AND TO WASHINGTON RFI TO UKMIS GENEVA.
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:
WASHINGTON TELEGRAMS NOS 54 AND 60 AND GENEVA NO 21.
US REQUEST FOR CONSULTATIONS ON MAN-MADE FIBRE AND WOOLLEN
TEXTILES.
IN VIEW OF CULBERT'S APPROACH TO JONES WE ARE CONSIDERING A REMINDER TO US STATE DEPARTMENT THROUGH OUR EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON THAT HMG CANNOT TAKE COGNISANCE OF THE INFORMAL APPROACHES TO HONG KONG OF WHICH WE HAVE LEARNT BECAUSE ANY SUCH REQUEST AS THE AMERICANS ARE APPARENTLY MAKING FOR A COMPREHENSIVE BILATERAL AGREEMENT MUST BE PUT FORMALLY TO US, SETTING OUT FULLY THE GROUNDS ON WHICH THEY BASE THEIR REQUEST.
2. IN SPITE OF THESE AMERICAN INITIATIVES PRESUMABLE AIMED TO ESTABLISH THE SERIOUSNESS OF THEIR INTENTIONS THERE SEEMS STILL THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MAY BE MAKING ONLY TACTICAL MOVES BEFORE THE GENEVA MEETINGS. WE APPRECIATE POINT MADE IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF WASHINGTON TELEGRAM NO 54 THAT THERE MAY BE LITTLE TO GAIN BY ANSWERING BEFORE GENEVA MEETINGS BUT WHAT WE CONTEMPLATE IS RATHER REMINDING THE AMERICANS THAT THERE IS SO FAR NOTHING TO ANSWER
3. UNLESS YOU ADVISE THAT YOU SEE SOME OBJECTION TO THIS COURSE, WOULD WASHINGTON PLEASE MAKE SUITABLE REPRESENTATIONS ON BEHALF
OF HMG BY 7 OCTOBER.
STEWART
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION
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