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CYPHER/CAT'A'
ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 271
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
DATED 2 APRIL 1969
JUTRAL]
ADDRESSED FCO TELEGRAM 271 OF 2 APRIL RFI BRUSSELS,
UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JONES) WASHINGTON (FOR HERMANN) AND TOKYO.
U.S. TEXTILE IMPORTS.
JAPANESE CONSULATE GENERAL TODAY HANDED OVER BOUT DE PAPIER MAKING
FOLLOWING POINTS 1-
(A) JAPAN IS OPPOSED TO HOLDING A GATT MEETING ON TEXTILE TRADE
RESTRICTION FOR FOLLOWING REASONS :-
(1) IN DIFFICULT WORLD TRADING SITUATION THIS WOULD INHIBIT.
EXPANSION OF TRADE.
(11) IN VIEW OF ART.1 OF LTA, AN 'OPEN BREACH OF FAITH VIS-A-VIS
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES'.
(111) SINCE MOST MAJOR COUNTRIES ARE AGAINST IT, MEETING WOULD BE
UNFRUITFUL.
(B) JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HOPES THAT IF U.S. GOVERNMENT MAKES ANY
APPROACH WE WILL NOT AGREE TO HOLD THE MEETING.
(C) JAPANESE GOVERNMENT HOPES WE CAN CO-OPERATE AGAINST ANY SUCH
RESTRICTIONS.
2. CONSULATE SPOKESMAN SAID SIMILAR MESSAGE (TRANSLATIONS TO ENGLISH
MAY VARY) BEING GIVEN TO ALL MAJOR TRADING COUNTRIES.
3. WE SAID WE UNDERSTOOD BRITAIN AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAD
ALREADY INDICATED OPPOSITION TO FURTHER RESTRICTIONS, AND WE OF
COURSE WERE ON THE SAME SIDE.
FCO PLEASE PASS ROUTINE TO BRUSSELS, UKMIS GENEVA, WASHINGTON AND TOKYO. SIR D TRENCH
[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]
INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION
HONG KONG DEPT
FÅR EASTERN DEPT
COMMODITIES DEPT
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LAST
REF
CONFIDENTIAL
R..F.
RECEIVED N ARCHIVES N. 3!
8 APR 1969
HKKG/204/1
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