GR 300
PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
COIDENTIAL
FRAME FILES
MCO 101820Z
REGISTRY No. 51
LAST
HKK 6/3 1973
CONFIDENTIAL VED H
REF.
ab
TEXT
RFF
૨]
14 JAN1974
HKK 6/598/1
HK
TOP COPY
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 30 OF 0 JANUARY 4 INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE). YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 1478: EEC/GSP
1996 HKK 63 1973
الهب
neur ro BTC
fo
PA
144
1. BUTLER WROTE TO JORDAN ON 21 DECEMBER AGREEING THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO GET THE COMMUNITY'S GSTP FOR 1975 SETTLED, IF AT ALL
POSSIBLE, SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THE END OF 1974. HE ACCEPTED THAT
THIS COULD MAKE IT EASIER TO PRESENT WHAT WE ARE DOING TO HELP
HONG KONG. HE SUGGESTED, HOWEVER, THAT THE BEST CHANCE OF GETTING
EARLY ACTION AGREED BY THE COMMUNITY WAS TO ENCOURAGE THE
COMMISSION ITSELF TO PROPOSE THIS TO THE MEMBER STATES. THIS MEANS THAT, WHILE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT KNOWN PRIVATELY
IN HONG KONG THAT WE HAD MOVED THE COMMISSION TO EARLY ACTION,
WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE PUBLICLY TO CLAIM CREDIT FOR ANY COMMISSION
INITIATIVE, THOUGH OF COURSE WE WOULD WELCOME IT WARMLY ONCE MADE.
2. WE ACCEPT THAT THIS WOULD MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO
HOLD THE LINE IN HONG KONG THAT HMG ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO ELIMINATE .
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BUT, AS SEEN FROM HERE WHAT MATTERS IS RESULTS, FIRST IN HOLDING EARLY
DISCUSSIONS, AND SECOND IN SEEKING AGREEMENT TO ELIMINATE
DISCRIMINATION.
3. NEVERTHE LESS IT IS CLEAR FROM THE STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS
OF THE TEXTILES ADVISORY BOARD (YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 441 SAVING)
AND OTHER DOCUMENTS HANDED OVER TO STUART BY JORDAN, THAT THE
INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG HAVE LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE BASIC
REALITIES OF THE SITUATION. WE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE
FOR YOU TO PUT THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON THE BASIS OF THE EXISTING
EVIDENCE, OF HMG'S WILLINGNESS TO HELP HONG KONG. PERHAPS IT WOULD
BE POSSIBLE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF UMELCO AND OF THE INDUSTRY
TO BE BROUGHT TO ACCEPT THE TRUE FACTS ON THE BASIS OF A CONFIDENTIAL
BRIEFING."
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