Q
CONFIDENTIAL UK EYES ONLY
UNCTAD Generalised Preferences Scheme
7. We are of course hopeful that your difficulties can be
reduced by the development of the UNCTAD preferences scheme,
and you know that we have recently made representations to the
Six, and to the United States and Japan, that Hong Kong should
#
be included in this scheme. Japan appears firmly opposed to
this, but we still hope that the ELC and the U.S.A. may be
prepared to consider our request more favourably.
8. We have recently
announced
that our revised offer must exclude both cotton and non-cotton
textiles, but we have explained that we are ready to reconsider
our. position as soon as the general outlook for international
trade in textiles becomes clearer as a result of further
.f
international di cussions.
Tactics
goi
In the light of some of the reactions we have recently
received from the Six, we now think that we should try to
forestall developments unfavourable to Hong Kong by opening
discussions with the Six on the future regime for Hong Kong at
a fairly early stage in our negotiations, taking the line
that your problems in relations to an enlarged Community must
be discussed as a whole, including both tariffs and
quantitative restrictions. We should have no illusion that
there will be much give in the Community's position, but
discussion of Hong Kong's problems as a whole in the context
/both
CONFIDENTIAL UK EYES ONLY
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