CONFIDENTIAL
(229)
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CYPHER/CAT.A
PRIORITY WASHINGTON
PRIORITY WASHINGTON TELNO.54 TO HONG KONG 24 SEPTEMBER, 1969
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 54 OF 24 SEPTEMBER REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO F C O UKMIS GENEVA AND TOKYO.
F C O AND GENEVA. PLEASE COPY TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICES.
FROM HERMANN.
4
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 36 OF 23 SEPTEMBER: U.S. APPROACH ON TEXTILES. TELEGRAM WAS ONLY SEEN BY COWPERTHWAITE AFTER WE HAD BEEN INFORMED OF PROPOSED DEMARCHE BY SECRETARY STANS AND ALSO DISCUSSED
IT IN STATE DEPT.
2. AS FAR AS WE COULD DISCOVER THE APPROACH IS FOR THE MOMENT CONFINED TO HONG KONG. KOREA AND TAIWAN ARE NOT YET INCLUDED
FOR QUOTE POLITICAL REASONS UNQUOTE. JAPAN IS CONSIDERED ALREADY TO HAVE BEEN ASKED TO NEGOTIATE, SO THAT A FORMAL PROPOSAL AT THIS STAGE WOULD BE SUPERFLUOUS. (BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE JAPANESE DO NOT CONSIDER THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED ANY PROPOSAL TO WHICH THEY OWE A REPLY).
3.
IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE IT SEEMS POSSIBLE THAT THE TIMING OF THE
APPROACH WAS INSPIRED BY COWPERTHWAITE'S PROPOSAL TO CALL
ON STANS. BUT C. WAS NOT PRESSED AT ALL HARD, NOR WERE ANY
SIGNIFICANT NEW ARGUMENTS PRESENTED.
ACTION WAS AS USUAL THE MAIN THEME.
4.
POINTS OX INTEREST ARISING WERE
THE THREAT OF CONGRESSIONAL
(A) IN RESPONSE TO COWPERTHWA I TE'S REITERATION OF H.K.'S WILLING- NESS TO CONSULT ON ANY PROBLEM ITEMS, AND TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT IN APPROPRIATE CASES, STANS SAID THAT THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF
HAD APPROVED A DECISION QUOTE TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
SELECTIVE APPROACH UNQUOTE. (WE DOUBT WHETHER THE PRESIDENT HAS
DONE MORE THAN AUTHORISE STANS TO CONTINUE ALONG THE SAME LINES FOR THE TIME BEING.)
B) FINAL DECISION ON WHETHER TO RAISE THE SUBJECT AT GENEVA NEXT
MONTH HAD NOT YET BEEN MADE.
(C) STANS DID NOT CLAIM TO HAVE MADE ANY PROGRESS WITH THE JAPANESE. 5. THERE SEEMS LITTLE TO GAIN BY ANSWERING THE U.S. APPROACH BEFORE THE GENEVA MEETINGS, ALTHOUGH ASSUMING OUR REPLY WILL BE NEGATIVE BUT REASONABLE THERE IS PERHAPS NO REASON FOR DELIB- ERATE DELAY. I IMAGINE YOU WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HONG KONG'S
25 SEP 1969
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/BEING THE
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