CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 413
CONFIDENTIAL
NEUTRAL
TQ FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 51 JUNE 1970
29 LUNDIS
LAST
REF.
46
NELI
REF.
48
(ADDRESSED F C O TELNO 413 OF 26 JUNE R F 1 UKMIS GENEVA,
416
UKMIS TELEGRAM 451: U.K.RELATIONS WITH HONG KONG ON TEXTILES.
IN MY TELEGRAM 403 | REFRAINED FROM COMMENT ON THE QUESTION OF
METHOD OF PRESENTATION TO GIVE UKMIS AN OPPORTUNITY OF STATING
THEIR VIEW FIRST. WHILE I AGREE WITH THE GREATER PART OF THE
} TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE ON THIS QUESTION, I WONDER IF THERE IS
NOT A DANGER OF OVER-FORMALISATION OF THE POSITION. PRESENT
COTTON PROCEDURES DEVELOPED WITHOUT FORMALITY AND HAVE REMAINED
INFORMAL, AND A FORMAL APPROACH ON NON-COTTONS MIGHT BE MISUNDER-
STOOD AND RAISE WIDER QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR AUTHORITY IN OTHER
FIELDS. AS YOU RECOGNISE, WE DO IN PRACTICE CONDUCT TRADE
RELATIONS OVER QUITE A WIDE RANGE OF MATTERS WHERE THERE IS NO
U.K. POLICY INTEREST, AND THIS DE FACTO SITUATION MIGHT BE
IMPUGNED BY IMPLICATIONS. THE DISTINGUISHING POINT ABOUT NON-
COTTONS IS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AUTHORITY TO ADVOCATE AND
PRACTICE POLICIES WHICH DIVERGE FROM THOSE OF THE U.K. IN A FIELD
WHERE OUR INTERESTS MAY CONFLICT.
2. IN THE LIGHT OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS I THINK IT APPROPRIATE
TO EXPLAIN THE POSITION TO LONG BUT TO DO SO FOR OTHER
INTERESTED PARTIES ONLY WHEN AND TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU FEEL NT
NECESSARY TO DISSOCIATE U.K. FROM HONG KONG POLICY, AS EXPRESSED
EITHER IN ADVOCACY OR PRACTICE.
CONFIDENTIAL
3.