TNAG-0138-FCO40-174-Conduct-of-Hong-Kong-commercial-relations-1969 — Page 170

CYPHER/CAT A.

PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TO HONG KONG

29 AUGUST 1969

CU

TELNO 580

Originalet: NKK 6/33)

さ

This Copy for Inform.su Para('s)

LAND

Acsion' en

REF.

RESTRICTED

REF.

NEUTRAL

(HKD)

ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 580 OF 29 AUGUST REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO OTTAWA

TEXTLILE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA.

FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF SUGGESTED STATEMENT TO TEXTILE ADVISORY BOARD AGREED AT MEETING ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF BOARD OF TRADE, F.C.O. AND JORDAN. BEGINS

Secretary for Trade

ita

THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION IS THAT HMG IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL RELATIONS (INCLUDING COMMERCIAL RELATIONS).

2.

!

NEVERTHELESS, HMG HAVE RECOGNISED THAT IN MATTERS NOT AFFECTING CONSIDERATIONS OF BRITISH INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL POLICY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD DETERMINE THE COURSE OF, AND WHERE PRACTICABLE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT OF, HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS,

3. WHERE CONSIDERATIONS OF BRITISIPYNTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL POLICY ARE INVOLVED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MAY, AS APPROPRIATE AND IN FULL CONSULTATION AND ASSOCIATION WITH HMG, EXERCISE

A SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITY, ACTING WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF POLICIES AGREED WITH HMG AND IN CONFORMITY WITH TREATY OBLIGATIONS. 4. SO FAR AS NON-COTTON TEXTILES ARE CONCERNED, HMG RECOGNISE THAT, WITH THEIR AGREEMENT, THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING A POLICY, WHEN A SITUATION HAS ARISEN SUCH AS ONE IN WHICH

ARTICLE XIX OF THE GATT MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN INVOKED, OF AGREEING TO EXPORT RESTRAINT ON NON-COTTON TEXTILES WHERE IT SEEMED IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG TO DO SO.

I

5. IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SPHERE OF TEXTILES, HMG ARE AT PRESENT URGENTLY REVIEWING THEIR POLICY AS IT AFFECTS BOTH THE U.K. AND HONG KONG, AND IN DOING SO THEY WILL TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF THE REPRESENTATIONS RECENTLY

MADE TO THEM BY THE GOVERNMENT OF HONGKONG. THEY WILL CONTINUE

TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SO FAR AS THE

/INTERESTS

17 OCT 1909

TAKK 6/18

RESTRICTED