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more permanent and accessible document, and was less specifically linked with the policy of a particular British Administration). The Hong Kong Government had no particular views on the actual wording of the declaration but hoped its implication would be that Britain would speak up for Hong Kong as necessary within the Community and would not be prepared to use her sovereign power over Hong Kong in the Community's interests. The Hong Kong Delegation would prefer a declaration which covered all dependent territories. This would be quite appropriate, since even dependent territories which were to be associated with the enlarged Community could still be properly covered by the declaration. The British Delegation said that a declaration made in Parliament would have due solemnity. It could be assumed that the German and other "unilateral" declarations attached to the Treaty of Rome had been agreed between the Six. The disadvantage of such a declaration was that it might appear irrelevant to the Six and lead them to suspect some deep-seated reason for it. Once it had been proposed and rejected by them, it would be very difficult for the British Government to make a statement in Parliament. For all these reasons it seemed best
to think from the start in terms of a Parliamentary statement or possibly a statement in a White Paper. The British Delegation undertook to give further consideration to the possibility of such a declaration and particularly to the question whether the declaration should be related solely to Hong Kong or to all dependent territories.
4. Mr. Cowperthwaite said that Hong Kong would like some form ‹ of assurance which could be passed on to her industry that Britain would support her participation in any system of generalised preferences for developing countries. This was not a matter that need be settled immediately, but the Hong Kong Government would like to have it made clear at some stage. The British Delegation said that Britain would, in the natural course of events, define her attitude on this when the subject arose in U.N.C.T.A.D. II. It would be important to watch that any definition of developing countries emerging from U.N.C.T.A.D. II included Hong Kong. Mr. Cowperthwaite said that the O.E.C.D. Special Group Report, which he had read quickly, was fairly satisfactory from Hong Kong's standpoint, but contained remarks about burden-sharing between developed countries and about origin which were not entirely satisfactory.
Consultation During Negotiations
5. The Hong Kong Delegation stressed the importance of continuing consultations which would enable the Colony to be kept informed of developments in the negotiations.
It was not only important that such consultations should be arranged, but also that they should be seen to be taking place. The British Delegation readily agreed to this. The Hong Kong Delegation asked for an assurance that, if in the negotiations the Six raised the question of imports from Hong Kong into the enlarged Community and made negotiating demands, Britain would defend the interests of Hong Kong and if appropriate make counter- demands on the Six. The British Delegation said that, in such circumstances, Britain would certainly take up cudgels on behalf of Hong Kong and would do so in close consultation with the Colony. If, however, the Hong Kong delegation were suggesting that, in the situation envisaged, the interests of Hong Kong might become a sticking point in the negotiations, British officials clearly could not commit themselves. This would be a matter for Ministers at the time.
Commonwealth Preference Origin
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