IMMEDIATE
GRPS 289
CYPHER/CAT A
FM HONG KONG 210748Z
[FRAME]
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
їнка 6/3
.A
3)
(168)
1844
PA
160
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 1336 OF 21ST NOVEMBER, 1973.
YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 1187: REPLY TO PETITION ON EEC CPS : TEXTILES AND FOOTWEAR.
WE WOULD PROPOSE SOME SLIGHT AMENDMENTS TO YOUR ANSWER TO THE PETITIONERS.
2. WE SUGGEST THAT THE SENTENCE QUOTE THIS WAS A MAJOR CONCESSION UNQUOTE BE CMITTED BECAUSE HONG KONG'S INCPUSION IN THE EEC'S
CPS WILL NOT BE SEEN BY THE PETITIONERS AS A MAJOR CONCESSION. NOR ARE WE AWARE OF ANY INDICATION THAT HONG KONG WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN TOTALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE EEC'S GPS.
3.
THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 5 OF YOUR TELEGRAM SHOULD BE AMENDED TO READ QUOTE I ASKED THE GOVERNOR TO PASS TO YOU THE TEXT OF THIS ANSWER AND I UNDERSTAND THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE UNQUOTE.
4. WE THINK PARAGRAPH 6 MAY BE REGARDED BY THE ADDRESSEES AS AN OVERSTATEMENT. THE PETITION WAS DESPATCHED
IN AUGUST AND THE FEELING HERE WAS THAT THE U.K., AS AN EEC MEMBER STATE, WAS ENTITLED TO RAISE THE QUESTION OF THE HONG KONG EXCLUSION AT THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL REVIEW OF THE CPS AND THAT THIS WAS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DO SO.
5. AS THE PETITION RELATES ONLY TO THE TEXTILES AND FOOTWEAR EXCLUSIONS, WE AGREE THAT REFERENCE TO THE IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE GPS SHOULD NOT BE INCORPORATED INTO THE RESPONSE. WE HAVE SPOKEN ON AN UNATTRIBUTABLE BASIS TO THE PRESS EMPHASISING THESE
CONFIDENTIAL
/IMPROVEMENTS BUT