CYPHER/CAT A

IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 647

CONFIDENTIAL

TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

15 AUGUST 1969.

CONFIDENTIAL

NEUTRAL

ADDRESSED F C O TELNO 647 OF 15 AUGUST R FI OTTAWA.

YOUR TELEGRAMS NOS 536 AND 537.

CANADIAN TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS.

ALTHOUGH I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE EFFORT WHICH HAS BEEN MADE TO

MEET MY DIFFICULTIES IN THIS MATTER I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR ISSUES OF POLICY WHICH LEAD YOU TO CONSIDER

THAT NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CANADIANS ON THE M M F ITEMS SHOULD

NOT PROCEED AS I WOULD WISH.

2.

AGAIN, AS IN THE SWEDISH CASE (MY TEL. 475), NOT KNOWING PRECISELY WHAT THESE MAJOR ISSUES ARE HELD TO BE, 1.FIND IT

DIFFICULT TO COMMENT.

3.

YOUR ONLY REFERENCES ARE TO 'EXTENSION OF M M F RESTRICTIONS RAISING PROBLEMS FOR THE U.K., 'THE CASE FOR VOLUNTARY RESTRAINTS', AND 'DANGERS IN THE CONTEXT OF STANS' PROPOSALS', BUT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME NO INDICATION OF HOW YOU THINK THE SITUATION HAS CHANGED SINCE THE DISCUSSIONS IN LONDON IN JUNE PRECEDING OUR NEGOTIATIONS IN STOCKHOLM, AT WHICH THESE ISSUES WERE THRASHED OUT AT LENGTH.

4. AT OPENING OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS INDUSTRIES WERE ASKED TO

EXPLAIN WHAT WERE MAJOR POINTS OF POLICY THAT THEY BELIEVED

MADE CONCESSION OF RESTRAINT UNDESRIRABLE. STEWART THEN SAID

TWO 'BASIC RISKS' WERE INVOLVED:

CONFIDENTIAL

/(A) DIVERSION

LAST

DECEIVED IN

REP,

6.9

STRY No.51 18 AUG 1969

NEXT

REF.

672

HKK 6/201/1

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