PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
REGISTRY
CONFIDEN 0.1
IN
250
M HONG KONG 040224Z
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HXXGIL
TOP COFY
CONFIDENTIAL
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 831 OF 4 NOVEMBER INFO BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE) UKDEL EEC, UKMIS GENEVA AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
YOUR TELEGRAM 812 AND UKDEL EEC'S TELEGRAM 370.
E.E.C. GENERALISED PREFERENCE SCHEME.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE CLARIFICATION OF THE STATUS
F
LACT
NLX)
REF.
251)
OF THE INFORMATION WHICH WAS PASSED TO DODGE BY THE COMMISSION AND FOR THE ADVICE IN THE TELEGRAMS UNDER REFERENCE.
TANCE
2. MY MAIN PURPOSE IN SEEKING ASSISTANCE FROM YOU IN MY TELEGRAM 806 WAS TO SEEK YOUR AGREEMENT TO PUTTING THE E.E.C. ON NOTICE
OF THE CONCERN OF BOTH OF US REGARDING WHAT, PRIMA FACIE, (LAST TWO WORDS UNDERLINED) SEEMED TO BE AN UNRAVELLING, AT LEAST `
IN PART OF THE PACKAGE CONCERNING THE CASE OF HONG KONG IN THE
CONTEXT OF THE ENLARGEMENT NEGOTIATIONS''. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED TO STALL, IF POSSIBLE, ANY IMMEDIATE ACTION BY THE COMMISSION
TO INTRODUCE THE EXCLUSIONS IN QUESTION.
3. THIS REMAINS MY VIEW AND IT IS REINFORCED BY THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PROVED HONG KONG CAN MEET THE ORIGIN RULES FOR THESE PRODUCTS AND, THEREFORE, SHOULD NOT BE EXCLUDED ON ORIGIN GROUNDS. IN ANY CASE THIS HAS ALWAYS SEEMED TO US TO BE A SPECIOUS EXCUSE BECAUSE IF, IN FACT, WE COULD NOT MEET THE ORIGIN REQUIREMENTS FOR THESE PRODUCTS WE WOULD BE EXCLUDED ANYWAY. THIS IS PROBABLY WHY THE COMMUNITY IS NOW TRYING TO EXCLUDE US BY THE FRONT DOOR
RATHER THAN THE BACK.
4. OUR FEARS ON THIS HAVE BEEN FURTHER REINFORCED BY MOST DIST- URBING NEWS WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED THROUGH COMMERCIAL SOURCES. THESE SOURCES REPORT THAT FRANCE NOW PROPOSES TO SEEK THE COMPLETE EXCLUSION OF HONG KONG FROM THE E.E.C. GENERALISED PREFERENCE SCHEME AT THE FIRST REVIEW AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
CONFIDENTIAL
15.