TNAG-0138-FCO40-174-Conduct-of-Hong-Kong-commercial-relations-1969 — Page 145

Mr. Wilford Mr. Carter-

plspk. Mj

K on "Commercial Relations Hle Lupto

+3.0 20110

Hong Kong Commercial Policy

date de

15

MKUU 17/10

You will wish to see the attached note which Sir Arthur Snelling

has sent me. It arose out of a conversation I had with him on the

afternoon of the 10th October in which I asked him, in anticipation of

my trip to Hong Kong for the benefit of his memory on two points which

had arisen out of earlier discussion with you.

(1) Did the statement brought back by Mr. Hughes from Hong Kong

that Hong Kong had the "right" up to two years ago to conduct its own commercial negotiations but that in the last two years the Board of Trade had claimed the "right" to supervise them,

refer to a formally agreed right which had been formally

rescinded or did it simply reflect what had been practice up to two years ago and since without having been formally reduced to writing.

(2)

Whether it was true as I had gathered that he had some time ago

said that the agreed primacy of the Board of Trade in commercial

relations with foreign countries applied equally to Hong Kong's

commercial relations with foreign countries.

2.

You will see from his note that he cannot really throw any light

on the first question but that on the second he is inclined to the view that I originally expressed that we in this Office and not the Board of Trade had the last say in Hong Kong's commercial relations

with other countries.

3. I regard his note as useful briefing for my visit to Hong Kong

but I do not think any action is necessary vis-a-vis the Board of Trade

until the Governor raises the matter with us in November and we can

judge how far the influence of Mr. Hughes' "conversion" to Hong Kong views during his recent visit there has prevailed in his Department.

Wiki

7

(L. Monson)

13th October, 1969

Mt. Stewart

When

Conduel-of

I have agreed to discuss with Mr. Wolford he has read the brief we prepared for Sur L. Monsen en HK's Commercial Relations. Pps. should be b.v. next week. File below can be returned to Commodities Dept. Lore 16/10