GR517
PRIORITY
CYPHER/CAT A
LAAT
RES
189
FM FCC 681845Z
NEXT
RET
CONFIDENTIAL
R
IN
11 NOV:974
Entus
HK- EBC - isp.
р
CONFIDENTIAL [FRAME FILES)
74
AND G S P.
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELUC 971 OF 8 NOVEMBER/19FO UK?EP BRUSSELS
MY IMEDIATELY PRECEDING TELEGRAM: HONG KONG
FOLLOWING IS TEXT, BEGINS
1. I SHOULD LIKE TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON THE QUESTION. OF DISCRIM-
INATION AGAINST HONG KONG IN THE COMMUNITY'S G S P.
2. A YEAR AGO THE THEN CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER SAID
HI THE COUNCIL THAT IT WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE THAT THERE SHOULD BE
CONTINUING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG IN THE G S P AND THAT IN
THE CONTEXT OF THIS YEAR'S REVIEW WE INTENDED TO PRESS PESOLUTELY
FOR THE INCLUSION OF HONG KONG'S TEXTILES AND FOOTWAR IN THE
SCHEME FROM 1975 ONWARDS.
3. 1 (MR. CALLAGHAN) ALSO REFERRED TO HONG KONG IN MY (HIC) STATEMENT TO THE COUNCIL ON 4 JUNE WHEN I (HE) SAID THAT VE NEEDED
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE POSITION OF HONG KONG MATRE AT
FRESENT THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ONE OF ITS
OWN TERRITORIES. SIR MICHAEL PALLISER HAS ALSO MADE STATEMENTS 04
HONG KONG FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE COMMITTER OF PERMANENT
REPRESENTATIVES - THE LAST OF THESE ON 13 OCTOBER.
I
4. 1 WELCOME THE COMMISSION'S PROPOSAL TO BRING HOPG KONG'S
FOOTWEAR EXPORTS INTO THE SCHEME THEREBY THDING THIS PART OF THE
DISCRIMINATION, EARNESTLY HOPE OTHER MEMBER STATES WILL AGREE
TO THIS. THE HONG KONG FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY IS FACING SERIOUS
TIFFICULTIES AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS PROPOSAL BI ENDORSED, 5. BUT THE INCLUSION OF HONG KONG'S FOOTAR, THOUGH WELCOME,
WILL ONLY ASSIST A RELATIVELY SMALL SECTOR IN THE COLONY. REALLY
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT WILL ONLY COME IF HONG KONG'S TEXTILES ARE
ALSO BROUGHT INTO THE AMBIT OF THE SCHEM, WE ARE EXTREMELY
DISAPPOINTED THAT THE COMMISSION DID NOT PROPOSE THE INCLUSION OF
ANY OF HONG KONG'S TEXTILS EXPORTS IN THE SCHEME FOR 1975. SIR M.
PALLISER IN HIS STATEMENT TO COREPER ON 12 OCTOBER DREV ATTENTION
TO THIS AND ASKED THE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER THE MATTER FURTHER WITH
A VIEW TO PROPOSING THE PCLUSION OF SUOMI CATEGORIES AT LEAST OF
HONG KONG'S TEXTILES FOR THE 1975 SCHEME AS A FIRST STAGE TOYARDS
THE FLIMITATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PONG KONG IN THIS SECTOR,
LAR VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT REVISED PROPOSALS HAVE NOT BEEN MIDE. 16.
CONFIDENTIAL