CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY TOKYO
TELNO 649
Cchied & HAKL
в
CONFIDENTI AL
(142)
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
25 NOVEMBER 1970
ia
134
CONFIDENTIAL
[FRAME]
025003OZ
21.1/6/6
ADDRSD TO FCO TELNO 849 OF 25 NOV RFI GOVERNOR HONG KONG
WASHINGTON UKMIS GENEVA AND UKDEL BRUSSELS
HONG KONG TELNO 791 TO YOU. GENERALISED PREFERENCES
COMMERCIAL COUNSELLOR WAS TOLD TODAY BY HARADA, DIRECTOR
GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE BUREAU IN MITI, THAT THE
QUESTION OF HONG KONG WAS NOT DISCUSSED WITH DAHRENDORF..
THIS IS SOMEWHAT SUPRISING BUT WE SHALL BE SEEING A MEMBER
OF THE GERMAN EMBASSY TOMORROW WHEN WE SHALL BE ABLE TO
OBTAIN CORROBORATION OR OTHERWISE OF HARADAS STATEMENT.
2. HARADA WAS CLEARLY VERY PREOCCUPIED WITH THE TEXTILE PROBLEM
AND DID NOT APPEAR TO BE WELL BRIEFED ABOUT HONG KONG .
HE CONFIRMED THAT A DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO INCLUDE
HONG KONG IN THE JAPANESE OFFER WAS NOT IMMINENT BUT WOULD BE
TAKEN BEFORE LEGISLATION FOR IMPLIMENTATION OF THE PREFERENTIAL
TARIFF SCHEME WAS SUBMITTED TO THE DIET. THIS LEGISLATION
COULD BE TABLED AT ANY TIME AFTER 20TH DECEMBER.
3. HARADA TOOK A GENERALLY NEGATIVE LINE THROUGHOUT. HE REITERATED
THAT THE LATEST JAPANESE OFFER HAD BEEN MADE ON THE BASIS THAT
HONG KONG WOULD BE EXCLUDED AND THAT A CHANGE IN THIS ASSUMPTION
AT THIS STAGE WOULD LEAD TO CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTIES. JAPAN
WISHED TO KEEP IT EXCLUDED ITEMS LIST TO A MINIMUM: IF
HONG KONG WERE INCLUDED THERE WERE A NUMBER OF ITEMS WHICH
/COULD
CONFIDENTI AL
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