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CUNT & DEMANA MANAS
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Secretary of State
Minister
Recil 2/10
1221
This subject with be tako b Eum on 9 Octobow. Multi
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HONG KONG/E.E.O.: GENERALISED PREFERENCE. SCHEME .
You will remember that you discussed this
subject with Murray MacLehose recently. I
mentioned to you then that the Department was
dividöd.
The European se6tlan ala nôt want us to
make an approach to the Community whilst the Far
Eastern section strongly recommended that we
should carry out Geoffrey Rippon's promise by making an approach as soon as possible.
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The problem is further complicated by the
probable visit by the Prime Minister to Hong Kong
(on his way back from Ohina) in January next year.
If the Government were to take a decision not to
approach the European Community on Hong Kong's
behalf, the Prime Minister would almost certainly be faced with embarrassing questions in Hong Kong and there might well be allegations of "breaking
trust".
I held a meeting last week, attended by
Mr. Robinson, Mr. Youde, Mr. Butler and Mr. Stuart,
to see if a compromise could be achieved between
the two viewpoints. However, it became clear that
/compromise