TNAG-0149-FCO40-185-Cotton-textiles-to-France-1969 — Page 167

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sel No paper attached

Hong Kong:

R+R

French Import Restrictions

5

You have received (or receive with this minute) Mr. Jones' memorandum dated 22nd January on this subject. It seems to me desirable to put a Joint Board of Trade comment on this to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as soon as possible,

I am inclined to agree with Mr. Jones' principal points

2. namely:

3.

(i) The French should not be allowed to get away with simply failing to notify the restrictions which they operate against Hong Kong.

(ii) The French react better if given a chance to put

things right bilaterally, rather than being challenged straight a way in the GATT.

(iii) We should therefore make bilateral approaches to

the French as soon as possible, and in any event before the meeting (whenever that is due) of the Residual Restrictions Group of the Committee on Trade and Development.

Mr. Jones suggests that this might be done in the context of the bilateral talks on the 1969 quota levele for Hong Kong. It would seem desirable to establish in the first place whether these talks can be mounted soon enough.

4. Since the French are adequately reprosented at Geneva, it seems to me there is something to be said for allowing the repre- sentations to be made at Geneva by our Delegation, with Mr. Jones rarticipating. In his final paragraph Mr. Joncs asks for a detailed factual brief. Presumably Mr. Jones already has, or can be supplied by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with all available information on the French restrictions on Hong Kong. It may be that the Board of Trade should supply the material requested about French treatment of other countries by way of global quotas and otherwise, so as to enable the complaint of discrimination against Hong Kong to be substantiated.

5. Since Mr. Kemmis has asked me to coordinate this so far as C.R.E.l. is concerned, I would be glad to have your comments on the foregoing points, and in particular Mr. Tippetts' views on the material that his Branch might provide for the brief, by mid-day Wednesday 29th January.

Hr. Toms (CRE 2)

c.c. Mr. Tippetts

Mr. Kemmis

Stewart

Mr. Ingram

CRE CRE 1 (I.1.)

CRE 3)

Miss Elliott

Miss Pearson CRE 1

RECEIVED IN Carter

Mr Woodhead

ARCHIVES No.31

31 JAN 1969

HICKO

нка

(D.I. Dunnett)

CRE 1

27th January, 1969

$

(CRE 1)

CRE 1)

(F.& C.0.)/

No. Stewart

Y above

Are not there

talks to be held in Hong Kong

M

Fahmany?

Σ above. No. Sellers can no doubt confirm that' Av. Jones has this information. But if he has not", then it will I think have to be suppled

by Itona Kiang:

Love

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