CYPHER/CAT.A.
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PRIORITY HONG KONG TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO. 3 TO BRUSSELS OF 29 MAY, 1970.
CONFIDENTIAL
[NEUTRAL]
ADDRESSED BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE) TELNO. 3 OF 29TH MAY RFI FCO,
UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JORDAN), UKDEL EEC BRUSSELS, BONN, PARIS,
THE HAGUE AND ROME.
UKMIS GENEVA TELEGRAM 25.
Cchied to Hilleboal,
COTTON TEXTILES, HONG KONG/EEC,
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 51
96
TOR 1970
56
акковы
GERMAN CONSUL SCHOLTYSSEK, AT HIS OWN REQUEST, CALLED YESTERDAY
TO SAY BONN FAVOURED A THREE MONTH EXTENSION OF THE CURRENT
BILATERAL AGREEMENT AND HAD MADE A PRELIMINARY APPROACH TO THIS
EFFECT IN BRUSSELS. HE WENT ON TO SAY HIS MINISTRY DID NOT
SEE IT AS INEVITABLE THAT THE PRESENT HONG KONG/GERMAN ARRANGEMENT
WOULD BE REPLACED THIS TIME BY A HONG KONG/EEC ARRANGEMENT,
WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A THREE MONTH EXTENSION. BY IMPLICATION,
THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY AN EEC LINE REGARDING NEGOTIATIONS WITH
HONG KONG COULD NOT BE AGREED. IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW HOW MUCH
CREDENCE TO PLACE ON THE REMARK BUT SCHOLTYSSEK APPEARED TO BE
SPEAKING FROM INSTRUCTIONS ON BOTH POINTS.
2. PLEASE TRY TO ESTABLISH FROM YOUR CONTACTS IN THE GERMAN
DELEGATION IF THERE IS ANY SUBSTANCE IN THIS IMPLICATION.
IT COULD HAVE A BEARING ON ERNST'S ANXIETY, AS REPORTED IN
UKMIS GENEVA TELEGRAM 25, FOR FIXING AN EARLY DATE FOR ARTICLE 4
NEGOTIATIONS. IF THE GERMANS ARE HOLDING OUT THERE WOULD SEEM
TO BE MERIT IN OUR DRAGGING OUR FEET.
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