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F.C.O. TELNO 722 TO HONG KONG
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NOT BE ENTIRELY DISSOCIATED FROM OUR APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP. IN YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 394 YOU AGREED WITH THIS ASSESSMENT. AGAIN, IN THE 'AIDE-MEMOIRE WHICH WE SUBMITTED TO THE SIX ON 9 JULY (UKDEL EFC TELEGRAM NO. 398): AND HAVE NOW CIRCULATED AS A CONFERENCE DOCUMENT THE INTERCONNECTION WAS MADE CLEAR.
6. WE HAVE, AS YOU KI OW, ALWAYS SEEN THE NECESSITY OF OFFICIALS MEETING IN LATE 1970 TO DISCUSS THE DETAILS OF HONG KONG IN RELATION TO THE NEGOTIATIONS. THE FACT THAT THE SIX HAVE REACTED SPEFDILY ON THE SUBJECT OF DEPENDENT TERRITORIES, AND THAT IN CONSEQUENCE WE HAVE HAD TO ACT ON HONG KONG'S BEHALF WITHOUT HAVING HAD THE CHANCE PREVIOUSLY FOR A DETAILED DISCUSSION WITH HER OFFICIALS, MAKES IT ALL THE MORE IMPORTALT IN OUR VIEW THAT SUCH A MEETING SHOULD BE HELD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND IN ANY CASE BEFORE THE END OF NOVEMBER. WE SHOULD PE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD CONSULT YOUR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND SUGGEST A CONVENIENT DATE FOR OFFICIALS TO COME TO LONDON AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT MONTH.
7. ALTHOUGH WE HOPE O BE ABLE TO BEGIN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY ON HONG KONG AT A DEPUTIES' MEETING EARLY NEXT MONTH WE DO NOT IN ANY CASE (JUDGING FROM PROGRESS ON OTHER ISSUES) ANTICIPATE THAT THEY WILL DEVELOP VERY SPEEDILY. THUS A MEETING WITH YOUR OFFICIALS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER SHOULD E SOON ENOUGH: BUT WE WOULD NOT LIKE TO POSTPONE IF FURTHER.
DOUGLAS-HOME
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL
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E.I. DEPT.
H.K. DEPT.
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CONFIDENTIAL