RCONVIDENTIAL
FRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
REGISTRY No.51 10DEC 19/1
LAST REF.
130A
FM HONG KONG 090545Z
NEXT REF.
140
132
CONFIDENTIAL [NEUTRAL
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 922 OF 9TH DECEMBER 1971. YOUR TELEGRAM 914: COTTON TEXTILES.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE EFFORTS MADE BY FCO MINISTERS AND OFFICIALS, AND I REALISE THAT THE AGREEMENT TO HOLD FURTHER TALKS (YOUR TELNO 916) WAS ABOUT ALL THAT COULD BE EXPECTED AT THIS STAGE. BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT THIS LAST MINUTE CHANGE HAS CAUSED SOME LOSS AND MUCH RESENTMENT HERE.
2. THIS COULD BE RECTIFIED TO SOME EXTENT IF CONCESSIONS WERE MADE IN THE NEXT ROUND OF TALKS ALONG THE LINES SUGGESTED BY HADDON-CAVE. BUT MEANWHILE I HAVE A PRESENTATIONAL PROBLEM ON MY HANDS.
3. WE HAVE BRIEFED THE PRESS HERE, ON A NON-ATTRIBUTABLE BASIS, TO THE EFFECT THAT THIS IS NOT AS BAD AS IT LOOKS, AND SOME
OF THE PRESS AT LEAST HAVE RESPONDED. FOR OBVIOUS REASONS WE CANNOT SAY THIS ON THE RECORD, AND AS ILL LUCK WOULD HAVE IT I AM DUE TO SPEAK AT THE OPENING OF THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION EXHIBITION THIS EVENING MY FIRST ECONOMIC SPEECH.
THE TIMING COULD NOT BE WORSE, AND WHILE MY THEME WILL BE BALANCED AND REASSURING I CANNOT AVOID GIVING SOME EXPRESSION TO WHAT IS FELT HERE.
4. RELEVANT PASSAGE OF SPEECH IN MY IF T.
MACLEHOSE
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION
COMMODITIES D
HAD
CONFIDENTIAL