G. F. 323
0003230
CONFIDENTIAL
19 -
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42.
D.T.I.
Miss J. Elliott
Hagestadt
Laird opening by referring to a suggestion made
by Mr Royle (Parliamentary Secretary, F.C.0.) at a dinner
party at Admiralty House in January, that an agreed paper
should be prepared covering:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
the present position of Hong Kong in
G.A.T.T./C.T.C;
likely developments in the event that
either
(a) the members of the enlarged
Community retained individual
membership of G.A.T.T;
or
(b) the E.E.C. assumed obligations
as a single G.A.T.T. contracting
party;
an identification and examination of
problems raised by (2)(a) and (b);
and
possible solutions to the problems set
out under (3).
He thought it would be necessary to discuss (4) both with
the E.E.C. and with the G.A.T.T. Secretariat.
43.
I said I thought the first step should be the preparation of an agenda to be considered by a joint meet- ing of Hong Kong and U.K. officials in, say, September after both sides (and particularly the U.K. side) had done some
research. So far as we were concerned there was
CONFIDENTIAL
(a)