CONFIDENTIAL
Hong Kong Department
J Cater Esq
Director
Commerce and Industry Department Fire Brigade Building
46 Connaught Road Central HỒNG KONG
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7 April 1971
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You will have seen from our telegram number 212 of 6 April about the Generalised Preferences Scheme and Hong Kong and Japan that we came to the conclusion that however irritating it might be to you it would be in Hong Kong's interests to do what we could to meet the Japanese request for documentary evidence.
If it is agreed that the material we suggested be sent to Tokyo this will, we hope, settle the matter. It has however occurred to us that if the Japanese are still not satisfied we might consider sending them a copy of the Colonial Office despatch No. 96 of 14 January 1958. You have probably never seen a copy of that despatch (a copy is enclosed); I myself was only able to track it down as a result of something the Governor said to me when I was in Hong Kong last September. As you will see, the despatch is graded "restricted" We can see no reason here however why this should deter us from showing it to the Japanese if we think it will help to convince them of the truth of what we have been saying.
We would be glad to know what you think about this.
FED 489/400/01 1957/58
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E O Laird
CONFIDENTIAL