YPHER CAT/A
PRIORITY WASHINGTON
TELEGRAM NO. 3122
CONFIDENTIAL 2221007
NEUTRAL
CONFIDENTIAL
て
(281)
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
22 OCTOBER, 1976,
280)
295
ADDRESSED TO F.C.0. TEL. 00. 3120 OF 28/19 REPEATED FOR INFORMATION
TO TOKYO, HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, AND UKDEL DRUSSELS.
YOUR TELEGRAM 2303 TO ME AND TOKYO TELEGRAM 773 Q YOU:
GENERALIZED PREFERENCES.
280
√(279)
CRONK REPEATED TO US TODAY THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO REPEAT NO U.S.
DECISION TO EXCLUDE HONG KONG, THOUGH THE OUTLOOK TENDED TO BE
NEGATIVE. THE FINAL U.S. DECISION WOULD BE STRONGLY INFLUENCED BY
THAT OF JAPAN AND THE E,C.
C.
2. BARGER (DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ASIAN AND PACIFIC
AFFAIRS) WHO IS FIRMLY ON HONG KOwOn'6 SIDE HAS SUGGESTED ON A PERSONAL
BASIS THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF WE RENEWED OUR REPRESENTATIONS,
THIS TIME CONCENTRATING THEM ON THE BUREAU OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS IN
THE STATE DEPARTMENT, TO EMPHASIZE THE U.K. CONCERN IN THE MATTER,
WE WILL DO THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, USING THE MATERIAL WHICH WE
HAVE,
3. BARCER ALSO MADE ANOTHER PERSONAL SUGGESTION, THAT THE U.K. OR
HONG KONG PUT FORWARD A COMPROMISE PROPOSAL THAT HONG KONG BE GIVEN
PREFERENCE ONLY UP TO THE LEVEL OF EXISTING TRADE. HE IS FOR SOME
REASON UNWILLING TO PROMOTE THE IDEA HIMSELF, OR FEELS THAT IT WOULD
GET MORE ATTENTION IF COMING FROM OUTSIDE. SEEN FROM HERE IT HAS
∙SOME MERIT, FROM HONG KONGR'S VIEWPOINT AS BEING BETTER THAN TOTAL
EXCLUSION OR EXCLUSION ON SOME PRODUCTS, AND FROM THE U.S. VIEWPOINT
AS GIVING LITTLE AWAY. WE HOPE YOU AND HONG KONG WILL CONSIDER THIS PROPOSAL RATHER URGENTLY, AND, IF YOU APPROVE OF IT, LET US KNOW
WHETHER WE SHOULD FLOAT IT HERE OR WHETHER YOU PREFER TO KEEP IT IN
RESERVE FOR THE O.E.C.D. TRADE COMMITTEE MEETING ON 30 NOVEMBER.
FCO PASS FOR INFORMATION TO HONG KONG, UKNIS GENEVA TOKYO AND UKDEL BRUSSELS
MR FREEMAN.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION
TRADE POLICY D.
H.K.D.
AMERICAN D.
2
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION
HONG KONG INT. TRADE
HKKG / N
CONFIDENTIAL