(a)
LAP
(b)
хал
· 3
the exclusion of the 12 items from the G.P.S.
for all beneficiaries,
Or
the placing of the 11 non sensitive items on the
with
sensitive list ist Butoirs pitched at a level
which would effectively inhibit duty free imports,
(c)
5.
a further tightening of the origin rules for these
items.
Schoffer said that these three methods had been
considered but discarded for political, economic and
administrative reasons. He expressed himself as
sympathetic with the Hong Kong position in view of the
fact that for several items there was no trade, and
enquired whether the Hong Kong Government would consider
a gentlemen's agreement limited to those items in which
there was trade. I reiterated that any proposal which
envisaged discrimination against Hong Kong could not
be considered by the Hong Kong Government. Schoffer
said that he would report immediately to his seniors on
the discussion and make clear Hong Kong's objections to
the proposals which objections were based on two arguments,
(a) that there was no justification for the exclusions,
Hong Kong's fears of the effects arising from
discrimination against Hong Kong.
(b)
6.
*
I said that there was a third and in my view
overriding reason which would make it impossible for the
Hong Kong Government to accept any gentlemen's agreement
and that was that the Hong Kong Government would consider
any discriminatory action by the E.E.C. in respect of
Hong Kong to be in breach of the EEC/UK agreement on Hong
Kong reached during the enlargement negotiations.
I
/pointed