764)
is opom to the
to a lesser degree.
Draft:Telegran to UKliis: Geneva.
Repeated: Governor Hong Kong
Washington.
Your Tel:616.
Hong Kong's position on Textiles:
According to our information the only precedent for a
country being deemed to be a contracting party under
Article XXVI:5(c) and remaining dependent is that of the
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Wovould be inclined to
think that the political implications of following this line
for Hong Kong would be unacceptable.
2. As regards the suggestion in your para: 2 that we might
seek separate representation for Hong Kong in the Cotton
We
more
same djection. Textiles Committee and proposed new Working Party on textiles, although perhaps
inclined to expect opposition to this, bearing in
mind that Hong Kong is not a separate signatory of the L.T.A.
The suggestion in your telegram 451 para; 2 that Hong Kong
participates in its own right in the L.T.A. seems question- able. Dunnett's letter to Buxton of 10 July refers). You
have discretion to take soundings of the Secretariat on this
point, without implying that we are in any way moving towards
this development.
3. As regards your para:1, we agree that it will probably
remain in the interests both of Hong Kong and ourselves to
avoid expressions of conflicting views, but the prospect is
that the expression of independent views by Hong Kong on non-
cotton textiles will progressively have to be accepted. If
the word "usually" is omitted as you propose, it would seem
necessary to add a balancing phrase on the lines "while
allowing a Hong Kong viewpoint to find independent expression",
4.
Comments of the Governor Hong Kong would be welcome.