also not forget that Hong Kong is a colony and as such is not represented in Parliament like Lancashire.
We consider it extremely important that, whatever British Government view we arrive at for the resumed talks, these will be both serious and meaningful and that in the areas where we are unable to accept any of the Hong Kong proposals we should be able to demonstrate, with as much factual information as we can, why those proposals would present a serious erosion of the intent behind the Government's decision. (Given that the Hong Kong Delegation will be accompanied by seven senior textile advisers (including two members of the local equivalent of the Governor's Cabinet), this aspect is particularly important.)
We would therefore find it most useful if your officials could let us know fairly soon how they envisage undertaking the preparatory work for the resumed talks; and, while this is not specifically on the agenda, whether they consider we might be able to be more forthcoming at the talks on our own intentions towards formulating a textile trade policy, together with our partners in the enlarged EEC, which takes account equally of the interests of developing countries in expanding their exports of textiles and of the need of the textile industries here and elsewhere in the Community to evolve on a basis of genuine competitiveness; and of the right of efficient producers and their workers to safeguards against disruptive imports.
I realise this is a longer term problem, but if we could demonstrate to the Hong Kong delegation that we now seriously intended to promote a textile trade policy along the foregoing lines, this might also help in softening the immediate effects of our reversal on quotas.
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