CONFIDENTIAL
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CYPHER/CAT A
ROUTINE TOKYO
EGRAN NUMBER 912
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
28 DECEMBER 1970.
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ADDRESSED TO F C O TELEGRAM NO. 912 OF 28 DECEMBER RFI TO HONG
KONG WASHINGTON UKDEL EEC BRUSSELS UKMIS GENEVA AND UKDEL OECD.
MY TELNO. 907: GENERALISED PREFERENCE'S AND HONG KONG.
COMMERCIAL COUNSELLOR SAW HIRAHARA, DIRECTOR - GENERAL OF THE
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS BUREAU IN THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
THIS MORNING. HIRAHARA WAS QUITE FORTHCOMING AND GAVE THE
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IMPRESSION THAT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WERE REASONABLY En.
OPTIMISTIC OF BEING ABLE TO PERSUADE KITI AND THE MINISTRY OF
FINANCE TO INCLUDE HONG KONG IN THE FINAL JAPANESE OFFER. HONG
KONG WOULD, HOWEVER, BE EXCLUDED FOR QUOTE SOME, NOT ALL, TEXTILE
ITEMS UNQUOTE AS WELL AS FIREWORKS, TOYS AND SOME SUNDRY GOODS.
2. HE AGREED THAT DISCUSSIONS WITH HONG KONG OFFICIALS SOME TIME
IN JANUARY WOULD BE USEFUL AND UNDERTOOK TO SUGGEST A DATE IN THE
NEW YEAR. HE SAID THAT LEGISLATION HAD ALREADY BEEN DRAFTED IN
OUTLINE BUT QUOTE THE HONG KONG POINT HAS BEEN LEFT FLEXIBLE
UNQUOTE.
3. WHEN WAKEFIELD REFERRED TO ENDO'S QUESTIONS IN LONDON AND
SUGGESTED THAT THESE WERE HARD TO RECONCILE WITH POINTS WHICH
HAD RECENTLY BEEN RAISED BY MITI, HIRAHARA SAID THAT THE JAPANESE
"ERE DEFINITELY LOOKING FOR LEGAL ARGUMENTS TO SHOW THAT HONG
KONG WAS IN SOME ORGANISATIONAL ASPECTS QUITE SEPARATE FROM
BRITAIN. HE SUGGESTED, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL
TO HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THE HONG KONG CUSTOMS OPERATED A SYSTEM
INDEPENDENT OF THE UK. ACCORDING TO HIRAHARA IT HAD BEEN FOSSIBLE
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CONFIDENTIAL
/TO DRAW