CONFIDENTIAL
36
Flag
Mr Wilford
Sir D
Watson
PS Mr Royle
2213
Si
flow
. Watson 22
Y
Agrees. But wee Адно
might consider premin
Bene luxe
Mr. Willow Mi34K. it mecenery on Mr. Stk.)
Mo Comfelles. I 2010 44 2/3
EEC TEXTILES DISCUSSIONS: HONG KONG
ok.
DA
A.R.
26.14
1. The Deputy Economic Secretary, Hong Kong, Mr Derek Jones,
has been attending meetings this week with DTI Chemicals and
Textiles Division to discuss the current EEC negotiations.
have attended the meetings.
2. In Hong Kong telegram No 281 the Hong Kong Government
expressed concern that the Community might be about to agree
H
421
a mandate for restrictions on a very wide range of non-cotton
textiles. We have agreed with Mr Jones and with the DTI that
although some sort of mandate on a Community-wide basis might
now be inevitable, we would maintain the principle that no
restrictions should be demanded or imposed without evidence of
actual substantial damage to the countries of the Community.
This was in the UK's direct interest as well as in the interest
of Hong Kong.
3. It was suggested that it would be easier to defend the
position that unreasonable restrictions should not be imposed
if the Hong Kong Government had already reacted to reasonable
complaints. Their unilateral offer to impose restrictions to
West Germany had taken some of the heat out of the situation.
The remaining problem was exports to the Benelux countries.
Mr Jones agreed to recommend to the Hong Kong Government a
unilateral offer to Benelux on the lines of that already
CONFIDENTIAL
/extended