CONFIDENTIAL
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4. 1 NOTE THAT MINISTERS ARE UNLIKELY TO TAKE POLICY DECISIONS
MUCH BEFORE MID-SEPTEMBER BUT THAT THEY MUST BE TAKEN BEFORE
HUGHES' TALKS IN OTTAWA. AS YOU ARE AWARE, HONG KONG'S EXPORT
TRADE IN TEXTILES IS, IN ABSOLUTE TERMS OF VALUE, APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO BRITAIN'S AND IS, OF COURSE, OF VERY MUCH GREATER
IMPORTANCE IN RELATION TO THE ECONOMY AND THE LIVELIHOOD
OF THE PEOPLE. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND SINCE THE EXISTING
CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND OPINION SEEMS UNLIKELY TO BE IMMEDIATELY RESOLVED, I MUST ASK THAT HONG KONG'S VIEWS BE FULLY HEARD BEFORE ANY POLICY PROPOSALS ARE PUT TO MINISTERS, AND FOR THIS PURPOSE I AM READY TO SEND AN APPROPRIATE OFFICER TO LONDON AT ANY TIME
REQUIRED.
FCO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY OTTAWA
SIR D. TRENCH
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION
HONG KONG DEPT
CONFIDENTIAL
ADVANCE COPIES SENT
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION HONG KONG:
INTERNATIONAL TRADE