CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COFY 29
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 9 TO BRUSSELS
15 SEPTEMBER 1970
CONFIDENTIAL
/NEUTRAL
ADDRESSED BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE) TELNO 9 OF 15 SEPTEMBER RFI
UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JONES) HONGAID FCO AND UKDEL EEC,
YOUR TELNO 31
COTTON TEXTILES.
HX X G/E
AT THE CLOSE OF THE CONSULTATIONS (REPEAT CONSULTATIONS) IN
GENEVA IN JULY, ERNST EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THEY COULD BE
RESUMED IN LATE SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER AND DORWARD SUGGESTED
THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BE THE VENUE, AS WE ARE DUE TO MEET
THE NORWEGIANS HERE IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 21 SEPTEMBER, IT WOULD BE
IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO RESUME THE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE EEC
BEFORE EARLY OCTOBER.
2. PLEASE TRY TO PERSUADE ERNST TO COME TO HONG KONG. IF YOU
CANNOT SHIFT HIM, THEN YOU MAY SAY THAT WE WOULD BE PREPARED
TO SEND A TEAM TO EUROPE (FOR THE FOURTH TIME THIS YEAR) IN
THE SECOND HALF OF OCTOBER, YOU SHOULD ADD THAT A SUCCESSFUL
OUTCOME WILL DEPEND ON OUR RECEIVING THE PROMISED FACTUAL
JUSTIFICATION AND SUPPORTING STATISTICS BEFOREHAND AND ON
THE EEC SETTING ASIDE SUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE CONSULTATIONS.
IN OUR VIEW A WEEK WILL BE REQUIRED.
3. ERNST SEEMS TO BE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT
THAT YOU WERE NOT PRESENT IN GENEVA TO PRETEND THAT HE DID
NOT UNDERTAKE TO PROVIDE STATISTICAL JUSTIFICATION FOR RESTRAINT.
/GP OMITE DID. A LETTER TO HIM FROM DORWARD IS
BT HE
THERE CAN NO
EN ROUTE TO YOU FOR DELIVERY. IT ENCLOSES THE DOCUMENTS WE
PROMISED AND INCLUDES A REMINDER OF HIS UNDERTAKING,
WICH YOU SHOULD DRAW TO HIS ATTENTION.
/FCO
CONFIDENTIAL