tactically
left to femselves,
anxious that the discussions with the Americans should, not be transmuted ad hoc into negotiations, I therefore think it is important that we should insist that there should be separate negotiations with the Swedes, on the non-cotton items, if we agree they have presented a prima facie.case.
6. I understand that Mr. Stewart agrees that we should insist on a June negotiation (for which the Swedes are prepared - see paragraph 8 of the telegram), and is likely to suggest this to the Board of Trade.
7. A general point is that the ease with which Hong Kong slipped into a quasi-negotiation on the case for extensions in the scope of their non-cotton restraints, strengthens the argument for sending some one from London to Hong Kong for the Stans discussions.
перву
(H. D. G. Collings) Commodities Department
1 May, 1969
Copy to:- H. H. Stewart, Esq. (Hong Kong Dept., K 245)
* P.S. Since dictating the above, I have seen Mr. S. Stewart's minute of 29 April to Mr. Dunnett, which suggests, in his paragraph 1, that at least one of the Swedish benchmarks is rather low. It may be that the Board of Trade will adopt the suggestion (his paragraph 3) that, in considering any U.S. figures, Hong Kong ought to put the emphasis on Article XIX of the GATT, rather than on the benchmarks in the Swedish case.