YTHER/CAT A
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 51
- 9 JUL 1970
ARX6/6
FRIORIEY BRUSELE
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP CORY
62
FOREIGN AND COMCNVELITH CFFICE
8 JULY 1970
PRIORITY BRUSSELS TELO. 22 TO HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL [NEUTRAL]
ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 22 OF 8 JULY 1970 AND RFI TO FCO, UKDEL EC, ROME, BONN, UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JONES), THE HAGUE, PARIS.
FROM DODGE:
COTTON TEXTILES: HK/EEC
YOUR TELEGRAM 448 TO FCO.
61
Ruf
64
BOTH UKDEL EC AND I CONSIDER IT HIGHLY DESIRABLE THAT MY REPLY TO ERNST SHOULD CONTAIN MENTION OF HYPOTHETICAL DATE FOR NEGOTIATIONS TO DISPOSE OF ANY LINGERING DOUBTS AS TO OUR
INTENTIONS.
2.
IF YOU AGREE, AND ASSUMING CONCURRENT HMG SUPPORT FOR THE HK POSITION, I SUGGEST THAT MY REPLY TO ERNST SHOULD READ
AS FOLLOWS:
"' HAVE THE HONOUR TO REFER FURTHER TO YOUR LETTER OF 16 JUNE AND THE ANNEXES THERETO, ON THE SUBJECT OF A POSSIBLE ARTICLE 4 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND THE
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT.
I AM NOW ABLE TO ADVISE YOU THAT YOUR LETTER AND ITS ANNEXES HAVE BEEN DULY CONSIDERED IN HONG KONG AND THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS AGREEABLE IN PRINCIPLE TO THE EARLY NEGOTIATIONS YOU PROPOSE. BEFORE OPENING SUCH FORMAL NEGOTIATIONS, HOWEVER, MY GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS THAT A FACTUAL STATEMENT OF THE REASONS AND JUSTIFICATION FOR THE COMMUNITY REQUESTING THE EXERCISE OF RESTRAINT ON A SUBSTANTIAL SECTION OF OUR EXPORTS IS REQUIRED. SUCH A STATEMENT WOULD NEED TO BE SUPPORTED BY STATISTICS GIVING THE RELEVANT COMMUNITY IMPORTS, PRODUCTION, AND CONSUMPTION IN RESPECT OF EACH ITEM FOR WHICH SPECIFIC RESTRAINT IS BEING REQUESTED.
CONFID: MITAT,
"