310
CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIATE CODEL BRUSSELS
TELEGRAM NO. CODEL 187
CONFIDENTIAL 24183ZZ
NEUTRAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
04 NOVEMBER 1970
ADDRESSED TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NO. CODEL
187 OF @4 NOVEMBER 1973 REPEATED FOR INFORMATION IMMEDIATE TO
WASHINGTON PRIORITY TO UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JONES) HONG KONG TOKYO
AND SAVING TO BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE)
FCO TEL. NO. 2498 TO WASHINGTON. +809
GENERALIZED PREFERENCES.
THE COMMUNITY WAS NOT READY TO DISCUSS THE QUESTION, OF HONG KONG
IN SUBSTANCE AT THE MEETING OF DEPUTIES ON 4 NOVEMBER. THEIR
RESPONSE TO MY RE-STATEMENT OF THE CASE FOR INCLUDING HONG KONG IN
NOT
THE UNCTAD PREFERENCE SCHEME WAS THEREFORE NON-COMMITAL ALTHOUGH IT WAS NEGATIVE (FULL REPORT FOLLOWS BY SAVING TELEGRAM).
A
2. DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE HAD SOME INFORMAL INDICATIONS THAT
THE COMMUNITY MAY BE MOVING TOWARDS INCLUDING HONG KONG IN THEIR
PREFERENCE SCHEME SUBJECT TO CERTAIN SPECIAL RESTRICTIVE CONDITIONS,
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD BE WISE TO REFER TO THIS IN OUR
CONTACTS WITH THE AMERICANS AT THIS STAGE. IF WE DO SO WE RUN SOME
RISK OF UPSETTING THE DISCUSSION IN BRUSSELS ON THE POSSIBLE INCLUS-
ION OF HONG KONG BY THE EEC WHICH IS STILL AT A VERY EARLY STAGE. THE SAME CBJECTIONS WOULD NOT APPLY, AS SEEN FROM HERE, TO DRAWING THE ATTENTION OF THE AMERICANS TO THE FACT THAT THE EEC HAS NOT YET TAKEN A DECISION ON HONG KONG IN RELATION TO THE GPS, AND REITERATING THE HOPE THAT THE US GOVERNMENT WILL NOT ADOPT AN
ALL-OR-NOTHING ATTITUDE IN ISOLATION.
F C O PSE PASS IMMEDIATE TO WASHINGTON AND PRIORITY TO UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JONES) HONG KONG, TOKYO
PASSED SAVING TO BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE)
SIR C O'NEILL
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
COPY TO:
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTI ON
T.P.D.
AMERICAN D.
H.K.D.
E.I.D.
309
313
CONFIDENTIAL
MR.M.P. LAM, CRE D.T.I.
HKK6/12