TNAG-0046-FCO40-82-Britain-s-entry-into-EEC-effect-on-trade-with-Hong-Kong-1967 — Page 142

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(b)

living standards of its inhabitants, unless

mention were also made of the need to protect

industry in the Community from damage resulting

from imports of all kinds from Hùng Kong.

There is thus a likelihood that, by raising the

question of a declaration at all, we should

prompt the very damand for protection of

Community producers which it is the whole aim

of the "no special arrangements" gambit to

avoid. The more explicit a declaration was in

addressing itself to the problems of Hong Kong,

the greater this likelihood would be; on the

other hand, the more generalised it was, the

less likely the Six would be to agree to its

being made.

If we were to propose a declaration, should we

aim for a unilateral one by the United Kingdom or a joint one by all Members of an enlarged Community?

Hong Kong officials did not at any stage suggest

the possibility of a joint declaration by all

Members of the enlarged Community.

Nevertheless,

if there is to be a declaration of any kind, this

is something which should be considered.

Obviously, if we could obtain some kind of

acceptance by the Member countries of the enlarged

Community of a degree of responsibility for

helping to solve the problems of our Dependent

Territories, and particularly Hong Kong, this

would be more advantageous than the mere tacit

acceptance by them of a unilateral declaration on

our part about our own continuing responsibilities.

On the other hand, the more responsibility we try

to thrust on the Six, the more likely they are to

bject to the whole concept of a declaration.

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