Mr. I. R. Murray
$19/69.
Reference....
66
عهد
The attached folder contains a mass of
statistics supplied by Industries Division of the
Tortill Board of Trade on Hong Kong's exports to the United
ん Kingdom. In the June discussions with Mr. Jordan
concerning the Swedish negotiations which were then
to take place, Mr. Stewart of the Board of Trade undertook to present the case in support of his assertion that the United Kingdom had as good a case for asking Hong Kong to restrain exports in
the non-cotton field as the kind of case which Hong
• Kong seemed prepared to concede to the Swedes.
He has apparently had difficulty in assembling the necessary statistical material. The attachments
represent the fruit of his labours, and I do not pretend to understand them.
•
2.
The Hong Kong representatives in London have
looked at this material and I understand that
Mr. Jonesis preparing a detailed assessment of it. But their preliminary reaction (already conveyed to Mr. Stewart) is that the UK have no semblance
of a case, on the figures presented, for asking Hong Kong to restrain. Mr. Stewart's response was surprisingly mild; he said that in presenting the statistics he had not attempted to present his argued case. It would not surprise me if we hear very little more about this. However we shall no doubt, in due course, get Hong Kong's comments
on the statistics and will then have to consider
whether and how we pursue the argument.
3.
Meanwhile would you please see that these
papers are enclosed on a suitable file.
5 September, 1969
6.5. Carter
(W. S. Carter)