CODE 18-77
SS 10/76
CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Stern EID(E)
"Referencs
#KK121||
RECOVER
1973
OFFIC
if
407
HONG KONG AND THE MEA
1.
I attach a letter from Derek March in Hong Kong suggesting that we arrange publicity on two aspects of this issue to counter-balance the inevitably biased coverage given by the Hong Kong media.
2.
On the first point, the UK position in the negotiations, my initial reaction is that the strong support given by UK Ministers to the EEC line, even if we have not "ed the pack", would make it very difficult to produce a sufficiently credible story. In any case I would hope that, now agreement has been reached, discussion on this point will die down. Nevertheless there is a good deal of merit in Mr March's suggestion of an article setting out the EEC point of view.
3. I have already prepared an analysis of the effect of the agreement on Hong Kong as far as the eight sensitive products are concerned. I think we can do no better than send a copy of this to Mr March. At the same time we can reinforce the point that the difference between the 1978 quota and the 1977 send- ings is minimal. The point has been made in the Hong Kong press but only as an after-thought.
4.
I shall be grateful for your comments.
13 December 1977
Enc.
M: Thopson WKGD
ཚེས་པ་བརྟ་བས་
J Thompson
K 245
Hong Kong & General Department
Replyser вер
22312
I should like to see your analysis of the effects on HK. To be sure we are not going astray it will have to be checked very carefully, perhaps by the DOI, who
very moment complaining they do not have enough statistical information from the Commission to assess the results of the bilateral negotiations.
are at this
I sympathise with Derek March's desire for an article. Could you not
try your
hand?
CONFIDENTIAL
Hush (IDGE) Анти
13 x11 77