15.10
BOL HKGOVT G
61750 HONREP B
FOR PATRICK LAU FROM BURGESS.
ATHER TO WU'S PHONE CALL THIS AFTERNOON, FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF HES .MESSAGE TO CS. PLS ENSURE THAT A COPY IS SENT TO JAB STEWART (FCO) IMMEDIATELY - BY TELEPHONE IF NECESSARY. MANY THANKS.
28/9/77
FOR CHIEF SECRETARY FROM GOVERNOR, IN BRUSSELS. APT. TO STUART, FCO.
1.
I PROPOSE TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS ON ARRIVAL AT HK PROVIDED THE HOUR IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE. I WANT TO DISPOSE OF THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO FREE MYSELF FOR FINAL IS ING THE LEGCO SPEECH.
2.
I WILL ANSWER PRESS QUESTIONS AFTER MAKING THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT, COPIES OF WHICH SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AT THE AIRPORT AND DISTRIBUTED AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE. BEGINS:
IN VIEW OF THE IMPORTANCE TO HK OF THE FORTHCOMING BILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EEC, DUE TO BEGIN IN BRUSSELS ABOUT THE 10TH OF OCTOBER, I THOUGHT IT ESSENTIAL THAT I SHOULD EXPLAIN THE IMPLICATIONS PERSONALLY TO RESPONSIBLE MINISTERS IN LONDON. I WAS ACCOMPANIED BY MR DORWARD.
DR OWEN HIMSELF WAS IN NEW YORK, BUT IN HIS ABSENCE I SAW THE SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MR FRANK JUDD, AND OF COURSE LORD GORONWY ROBERTS, IN ADDITION TO THE PERMANENT UNDER SECRETARY, SIR MICHAEL PALLISER, AND OTHER OFFICIALS. I ALSO HAD A MEETING WITH MR EDMUND DELL, SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY MR ALAN WILLIAMS, MINISTER OF STATE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY. AT ALL THESE MEETINGS I WAS ACCOMPANIED BY MR BRAY, THE HK COMMISSIONER IN LONDON.
AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY, I VISITED BRUSSELS TO CALL ON THE RESPONSIBLE COMMISSIONER, MR HAFERKAMP. ON THIS CALL I WAS OF COURSE ACCOMPANIED BY MR BURGESS, THE HK MINISTER IN BRUSSELS. IN VIES OF HMG'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR HK, THE SECRETARY OF STATE INSTRUCTED THAT THE MOST SENIOR AVAILABLE MEMBER OF THE U.K. PERMANENT REPRESENTATION TO THE EEC SHOULD ALSO ACCOMPANY ME.
AS A RESULT OF THIS SERIES OF MEETINGS, THOSE RESPONSIBLE IN LONDON AND BRUSSELS CAN NO LONGER BE IN ANY DOUBT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS TO HK, OR OF THE GRAVITY WITH WHICH WE WOULD VIEW ANY NEW AND SERIOUS THREAT TO HK'S TEXTILE EXPORTS. FOR THEIR PART, THOSE TO WHOM I SPOKE IN LONDON AND BRUSSELS STRESSED THE CURRENT PROBLEMS OF THE EUROPEAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY. BUT ALL TOOK NOTE OF WHAT I SAID AND UNDERTOOK TO GIVE IT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION BEFORE ANY FINAL DECISIONS WERE REACHED.
ENDS.
61750 HONREP B
284 Ou
HKGOVT GO
205
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