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themselves on the fact that Hong Kong's exports to the Six
have for some years grown faster than her exports to the U.K.,
despite the application of tariffs.
33. If, in the light of these comments, Hong Kong officials
again pressed us on this matter, we should agree to submit it
to U.K. Ministers for consideration; but we should not attempt
to forecast their decision.
To propose a bilateral Trade Agreement between Hong Kong and
the enlarged Community
34. The Hong Kong Delegation themselves took the view at the
last round of talks that there was no merit in this pro-
position. They considered that Hong Kong already enjoyed as
good terms of access to the markets of the Six and the U.K.
namely those provided in the G.A.T.T., in the Long Term
Arrangement on textiles, and in their bilateral agreements
with the individual countries as they could reasonably hope
to obtain; the problem was not to improve upon them there
was no hope of that - but rather to see that they were not
worsened by British accession to the E.E.C.
the point that Hong Kong at present had no tariff, and was
therefore in a weak tactical position vis-a-vis the Six. In
the circumstances, if negotiations for a bilateral trade
agreement with the enlarged Community were proposed, the Six
would be likely to try to use them, not to improve conditions
for Hong Kong, but to secure added protection for themselves
against the dangers they foresaw of disruption of their
markets by Hong Kong exports.
There was also
A unilateral declaration by H.M.G. at the time of signature of
the accession documents, placing on record the U.K.'s responsibilities for her Dependent Territories.
35. At the first round of consultations, Hong Kong officials
asked that we should consider the possibility of Her Majesty's
Government making a unilateral declaration, at the time of
signature of the instruments providing for United Kingdom
accession to the European Economic Community, and to be
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