CONFIDENTIAL
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CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON TEL NO 60
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TO HONG KONG, 2 OCTOBER 1969
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 60 OF 2 OCTOBER 1969 REPEATED
FOR INFORMATION TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, UKMIS GENEVA,
TOKYO.
F.C.O. AND GENEVA PLEASE PASS COPY TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICES. MY TELEGRAM NO. 54 OF 24 SEPTEMBER: U.S. REQUEST TO HONG KONG TO NEGOTIATE RESTRAINTS ON TEXTILE EXPORTS.
REFERENCE PARAGRAPH 6. WE FOUND IT NECESSARY TO INFORM THE JAPAN- ESE EMBASSY OF THE APPROACH AND OF THE GIST OF SORBY'S COMMENTS TO
MARTIN.
2. WE BELIEVE THAT THE AMERICANS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A FORMAL REQUEST FOR NEGOTIATIONS TO THE JAPANESE, INTENDED PARTLY
TO ADD TO THE PRESSURE BUT MOSTLY TO COUNTER THE JAPANESE INSISTENCE- THAT NONE OF THE AMERICAN APPROACHES SO FAR AMOUNTED TO AN OFFICIAL
REQUEST.
3. DECISION NOT TO APPROACH KOREA STILL STANDS, BUT SECRETARY STANS TOOK ADVANTAGE OF CALL BY TAIWAN FINANCE MINISTER K.T. LI THE OTHER DAY TO REQUEST TAIWANESE TO NEGOTIATE AND IN PARTICULAR TO- SEND A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH RANKING OFFICIAL FOR THE PURPOSE TO THE C.T.C. MEETINGS IN GENEVA. LI WAS ABLE TO SAY THAT IT WAS NOT HIS BUSINESS BUT THAT OF ECONOMICS MINISTER S.Y. DAO WHO WAS IN WASH- INGTON BUT WHO DIED NEXT DAY. LI ALSO SAID NOTICE WAS TOO SHORT FOR ANY DISCUSSIONS IN GENEVA. WHETHER TAIWAN IS NOW CONSIDERED: LIKE HONG KONG TO HAVE RECEIVED A REQUEST REQUIRING AN ANSWER IS NOT CLEAR SEMI COLON PROBABLY AS IN THE JAPANESE CASE, THE AMERICANS THINK YES AND THE TAIWANESE NO.
4. WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOME SORT OF APPROACH HAS ALSO BEEN MADE TO ISRAEL, BUT WE HAVE NOT YET LEARNED ANY DETAILS.
EIVED IN
R GETRY-31
-6 OCT 1969
HKKG/204/1
/5. IT SEEMS
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