TNAG-0140-FCO40-176-Effect-of-EEC-common-commercial-policy-on-Hong-Kong-exports-1969 — Page 69

make our point before the Council has taken any

decisions on the proposals now tabled.

Furthermore we think

on forour of c

A further argument on the side of early protest

and one with which I imagine you will agree-is-that it

's interest's would be preferable, both for Hong Kong and ourselves

own,

make any representations to the Community before

[to

Commence

negotiations for our own entry.

complicated

Inevitably these

negotiations will be embarrassed to some extent by the

need for adjustments in favour of our dependent terri-

tories but if we can get some of these adjustments out

{

of the way first that might be to the advantage of all

concerned.

5. I must emphasise that we have not yet consulted

Hong Kong. We know that when these discriminatory

Dodge proposals were tabled/(the Counsellor for Hong Kong's commercial affairs in Brussels) was strongly in favour

of a formal protest. But in recent discussions with

David Jordan from the Hong Kong Ministry of Commerce

and Industry it appeared the Hong Kong Government had

not yet decided. But however unlikely it is that the

community will have established its common commercial

policy by the end of the year as it should have done

according to the Treaty of Rome, we see advantage in

making our move in good time.

con-

6. We must leave it to you to suggest what the con-

tent of any GATT protest should be. We are in no

doubt, as I have said, that Hong Kong's GATT rights

would be infringed by these quantative restrictions.

On the other/hand we believe that when Ernst was in

Hong Kong recently he alluded to the possibility that

these restrictions were justifiable under the contro-

7. versial Article 19 of the GATT. versjal

On the basis of agreed

and conclusions with yourselves about the form of content

The Commission's hroporals

are expressed to come into force 147 Jarmany, 1970

ст

and Christofan has indicated

mhuletter

The fremures that might lead to earlys progress on 125 aspect of community policy

5. Representation Should, we think, be inade to the Commission, not to the Communding member states. This is after all a question of the Communally's L

Common commercial

hohin. A more Scattered approach to midwidual inembent would complicate maltere unnecessarily, without making a

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

concerted favourable

likely.

reaction more

/ of