CONFIDENTIAL
NOTE NO.6
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(a)
Visit of Parliamentary Under-Secretary,
Mr. Royle, to Hong Kong, October, 1970
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Delegation of authority to Hong Kong
in matters of overseas trade
The present position is as follows:
Both the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Technology have agreed, rather grudgingly, to the dolegation of authority to Hong Kong on (6)
textiles.
the Governor has asked that the delegation be
extended to cover other commodities as well, His reason
is that "it would be unfortunate if the implication arose that Hong Kong remains subject to close direction in all fields except textiles". The Hong Kong Government have of course for many years had direct dealings with other countries on such matters as purchases of rice from Thailand,
customs problems, certificates of origin of goods exported. (c) the Board of Trade arc dragging their feet over the
extension of the delegation to other commodities. (a) Sir E. Melville, who is in charge of the UK Mission
at Geneva, has urged that we should consider giving Hong Kong separate representation in the Cotton Textiles Committee of GATT and also in the new Working Party on Toxtiles, if it is set up. He argues that it will be impossible for the UK delegation to speak in GATT on non- cotton textiles with two voices, He also argues that
separate representation for Hong Kong in the limited field of toxtiles would provide a tost bed for assessing whether
wider freedom could be given to Hong Kong in the GATT if and
when we join the EC,
(e) To have recently pressed the Board of Trade (and Ministry of Technology) to look sympathetically at Sir E. Molville's proposals. (A copy of our letter is attached.)
Hong Kong Dopartment
2 October, 1970
CONFIDENTIAL