838
CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY WASHINGTON
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3445
CONFIDENTIAL.
NEUTRAL.
202030Z.
'CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
20 NOVEMBER 1970
ADDRESSED TO FCO TEL NO 3445 OF 20/11 REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO
HONGKONG UKMIS GENEVA UKDEL BRUSSELS TOKYO.
FCO PLEASE PASS COPY TO HONGKONG GOVERNMENT LONDON OFFICE. MY TEL NO 3267: GENERALIZED PREFERENCES.
HERMANN TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A TALK WITH CRONK TODAY TO REITERATE THAT HONGKONG WOULD BE WILLING TO CONGIDER A SOLUTION. BASED ON PARTIAL INCLUSION PROVIDED THIS PROTECTED HER TRADE FROM DISCRIM-
INATORY COMPETITION. HE OFFERED TO PROVIDE DETAILS OF ONE POSSIBLE
FORMULA THAT HONG KONG COULD LIVE WITH. (MEANING THE PROPOSAL IN
(303) HONG KONG'S TELEGRAM NO 762 TO YOU).
24 CRONK SAID THAT FOR THE MOMENT THE ONLY THING THAT COULD
CHANGE THE ADMINISTRATION'S NEGATIVE ATTITUDE WOULD BE AN INDICATION
FROM THE E.E.C. AND JAPAN THAT THEY WOULD ACCEPT HONGKONG, IF ONLY PARTIALLY. (IN SAYING THIS HE WAS CLEARLY NOT DISCOUNTING THE POSSIBLE EFFECT OF HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL PRESSURE, BUT WAS TALKING IN TERMS OF EXISTING POLICY,) IF THE AMERICANS LEARNED AT THE FORTHCOMING MEETING OF THE 0.E.C.D. TRADE COMMITTEE THAT THE E.E.C. AND JAPAN WERE MOVING TOWARD THE INCLUSION OF HONGKONG ON SOME PARTIAL BASIS IT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR US THEN TO MAKE SOME SPECIFIC
SUGGESTIONS HERE.
3. IF THE E.E.C. HAVE REACHED SOME DECISION BY 30 NOVEMBER THEY .
WILL PRESUMABLY TELL THE AMERICANS. BUT IF THEY ARE STILL UNDECIDED IT SEEMS IMPORTANT THAT THE AMERICANS (WHO CLAIM TO BE COMPLETELY IN THE DARK AS TO E.E.C. THINKING) BE GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT THE
OUTLOOK IS FAVOURABLE.
FCO PASS HONG KONG UKMIS GENEVA UKDEL BRUSSELS AND TOKYO AND COPY TO
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT LONDON OFFICE.
MR FREEMAN.
[COFY SENT TO HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON]
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION
TR. FOL. DEPT.
COMMODITIES DEPT.
F.EAST. DEPT.
H.K.DEPT.
AIER DEFT.
(313)
335) J40)
CONFIDENTIAL
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