45
CYPHER/CAT A
ROUTINE HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
+248
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
ROUTINE HONG KONG TELNO 13 TO U.K.MISSION GENEVA
CONFIDENTIAL
/NEUTRAL/
REF.
NEXT
RET
46
23 MAY 1970
This tel. is dro on HKK 6/309/1
(German file)
ADDRESSED UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JORDAN) TELNO. 13 OF 23RD MAY RFI
FCO, BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE) AND BONN.
BRUSSELS TELEGRAM 11 OF 15TH MAY TO ME, REPEATED TO YOU.
HONG KONG/EEC COTTON TEXTILE ARRANGEMENT.
MAY 1,70
HKK 6/1
PLEASE SEEK OUT ERNST AND TELL HIM WE SHALL CONSIDER A FORMAL
APPROACH FROM THE COMMISSION CONTAINING THEIR REQUESTS AND PROPOS-
ALS IN REGARD TO FUTURE COTTON TEXTILES ARRANGEMENTS, THEY/GP OMITTED/
DEMANDEURS AND IT IS UP TO THEM TO STATE THEIR CASE AND SUPPORT
IT WITH STATISTICS AND OTHER RELEVANT DATA. ERNST SHOULD BE
REMINDED THAT HE WAS TOLD BY JONES AND DORWARD IN MARCH THAT
HONG KONG WOULD AGREE IN PRINCIPLE TO NEGOTIATIONS WITH A VIEW
TO CONCLUDING AN AGREEMENT PROVIDED SOME ASSURANCE WAS GIVEN
THAT THE MAJOR PROBLEMS OF COVERAGE, GROWTH AND BASE COULD BE
RESOLVED IN A MANNER COMPATIBLE WITH THE CTA SEMI COLON ASSUMING
IT IS RENEWED.
2. ERNST IS CLEARLY TRYING TO STAMPEDE US INTO PREMATURE
NEGOTIATIONS BY CREATING A CLIFFHANGER SITUATION OVER OUR GERMAN
AGREEMENT. BUT, IF IT IS NOT EXTENDED AND IF, AS WE BELIEVE,
IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO CONCLUDE AND IMPLEMENT AN EEC AGREEMENT
IN TIME, WE SHALL BE PLEASED TO REVERT TO FREE TRADE FROM 1ST
CCTOBER. THE REASON WHY WE FEEL AN EEC/HONG KONG AGREEMENT
CANNOT BE CONCLUDED IN TIME INCLUDE:
/(A) WE
CONFIDENTIAL