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AKK 121 6/6/ PA Wo RJ ZA
BY V 997;
레이
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 6936 OF 18 NOVEMBER .
INFO ROUTINE UKMIS GENEVA.
HONG KONG TELNO 1151 TO F C 0: TEXTILES
1. TRAN WAS REPLYING TO A DIRECT QUESTION FROM A REPORTER. GIVEN
HIS PREVIOUS PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN THIS VEIN, IT IS DIFFICULT
TO SEE HOW HE COULD HAVE SAID LESS IF ANY CREDIBILITY IS TO
ATTACH TO THE COMMISSION'S NEGOTIATING STRATEGY, IT APPEARS,
MOREOVER, THAT MR DAVIGNON'S ASSURANCE TO MR DELL HAD NOT AT THAT
STAGE FILTERED DOWN TO TRAN.
2. THAT SAID, THE COMMISSION TOLD US YESTERDAY EVENING IN CONFIDENCE THAT SINCE MR DAVIGNON SAW MR DELL, THE QUANTITIES EARMARKED FOR HONG KONG IN THE COMMUNITY'S ORIGINAL OFFER
HAVE NOT BEEN CONSCIOUSLY REDUCED. PRIOR TO THAT THE COMMISSION
HAD DECIDED TO USE 500-600 TONNES OF HONG KONG'S ALLOCATION OF
COTTON FABRIC TO KEEP OTHER SUPPLIERS AT THE TABLE. BUT THEY.
APPEAR CONFIDENT (THOUGH NATURALLY UNWILLING TO MAKE ANY FIRM ASSURANCES TO THIS EFFECT) THAT, IF NEGOTIATIONS COULD RESUME
SOON IT WOULD BE FOSSIBLE TO OFFER SOME COMPENSATION ON OTHER
PRODUCTS WHICH MIGHT IN PRACTICE BE MORE USEFUL TO HONG KONG
THAN COTTON CLOTH.
!
3. BUT THE COMMISSION EMPHASIZED THAT NEGOTIATIONS ACQUIRE THEIR
OWN MOMENTUM. THE LONGER HONG KONG PREVARICATED, THE MORE
DIFFICULT IT WOULD BE FOR THE COMMISSION TO ISOLATE THE
COLONY'S ''SHARE'' FROM THE NUMBEROUS OTHER DEMANDEURS. IT
WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY HAPPEN AND WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY
OPPORTUNITIES OCCUR TO CLOSE A DARGAIN WITH SMALLER SUPPLIERS, OR EVEN WITH ONE OF THE DOMINANTS (EG SOUTH KOREA) IF ONLY A FEW MORE TONNES OR THOUSAND PIECES CAN BE FOUND. IN THESE
THAT
CONFIDENTIAL
/ CIRCUMSTANCES