CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY 43
HER/CAT A & BY BAG
RIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NO.415
TO HONG KONG
19 JUNE 1970
(HKD)
CONFIDENTIAL.
NEUTRAL.
ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO.415 OF 19 JUNE REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON SAVING TO PEKING.
MY TELEGRAM NO.347: TEXTILES.
AST
IN THE REAPPRAISAL REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH OF MY TELEGRAM-
NO.347 WE HAVE BEEN EXAMINING AT OFFICIAL LEVEL HOW WE MAY HANDLE MORE SMOOTHLY IN THE FUTURE ISSUES IN CONNECTION WITH POLICY ON
TEXTILES ON WHICH THE UK AND HONG KONG MAY HAVE DIVERGENT INTERESTS,
WE ARE SURE YOU ARE AS ANXIOUS AS WE ARE TO ACHIEVE THIS.
2. THE PROPOSED CONCORDAT STARTED FROM THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION
THAT WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL
RELATIONS AND ATTEMPTED TO DRAW UP PROCEDURES UNDER WHICH WE WOULD
GRANT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT LIMITED AND CLOSELY DEFINED DEROGATIONS
FROM THAT AUTHORITY. WE NOW BELIEVE THAT BETTER APPROACH WOULD BE
TO START FROM PREMISE THAT WE WILL MAKE A GENERAL DELEGATION OF
AUTHORITY IN THIS FIELD COVERING NON-COTTON TEXTILES, OUR OBJECT
WOULD BE TO ALLOW THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO MANAGE THEIR NON-
COTTON TEXTILE AFFAIRS INDEPENDENTLY, AS THEY ALREADY MANAGE THEIR
COTTON TEXTILE AFFAIRS.
3. WE ARE ADVISED THAT, IN EXERCISING ANY SUCH AUTHORITY, THE HONG
KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BE ACTING AS OUR, SO TO SPEAK, AGENTS, AND THE
RIGHTS WHICH THEY THEREBY ACQUIRED AND THE OBLIGATIONS WHICH THEY
THEREBY ACCEPTED WOULD BE ACQUIRED AND ACCEPTED ON OUR BEHALF. IT
WOULD BE HMG WHO WOULD BE CALLED TO ACCOUNT FOR ANY DEFAULT ON THE
PART OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND WE ALONE COULD SECURE
REPARATION ON BEHALF OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FOR ANY DEFAULT .
BY A THIRD PARTY.
/4. APART
CONFIDENTIAL
Chien & HIGO
День