Flag 69)
Flag 8
the Governor's views and those of Whitehall Departments would be submitted to Ministers for decision.
7.
The meeting felt that the Legal Advisers recommendation that a second and more public despatch should be sent to the Governor would be unwise in view of the special position of Hong Kong vis-a-vis the Chinese Peoples Government, a situation which, of course, does not apply in respect of other colonial territories. Paragraph 10 of the draft despatch states that the change (i.e. in regard to Hong Kong negotiating bilateral agreements direct) should come into effect without publicity and there would therefore be no scope for a second despatch which could be given publicity. In Geneva telegram No. 616 Sir Eugene Melville suggests that we should seek separate representation for Hong Kong in the Cotton Textiles Committee and also in the GATT but this, of course, would be unacceptable to the C.P.G. and a reply was agreed at the meeting and sent informing Geneva that we could not accept this suggestion.
8.
It is now proposed to send the attached revised draft despatch to Dunnett in the Board of Trade with a copy to Gregory, Mintech under cover of the attached draft letter in the hope that they will be able to obtain agreement to its terms in their respective Ministries.
Mr. Wilford
Ackumear.
(G. F. Kinnear) 7 September, 1970
I think the time has come for you to be made aware of the stage reached in our interdepartmental discussions about the terms of the draft despatch delegating authority to Hong Kong to conclude bilateral trade agreements with other countries. Mr. Kinnear's minute above sets out the whole position.
2.
The two main points at issue are:
(1)Whether the delegation of authority, as first envisaged, should be extended to include all commodities (in addition to textiles);
(2) whether the delegation should be made by means of one or two despatches to the Governor.
As regards (1), please see paragraph 3 of Sir L. Monson's minute of 11 August. I am sure that we are right to go the whole hog in this matter provided that the necessary precautions are taken (see paragraph 9 of the draft despatch).
3.
As regards (2) I think that a certain amount of
/misunderstanding.
..
13.
Flag C