TNAG-0151-FCO40-187-Exports-of-cotton-textiles-to-Canada-1969 — Page 68

CONFIDENTIAL

CYPHER/CAT-A-

PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 492

TO

HONG KONG

31 JULY 1969 (HKK 6/331/1)

CONFIDENTIAL

NEUTRAL

ADDRESSED TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELEGRAM NUMBER 492 OF 31 JULY'

REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO OTTAWA UKMIS GENEVA AND WASHINGTON.

WE HAVE RECEIVED NO REPORT FROM YOU ON JORDAN'S DISCUSSIONS

IN OTTAWA ON 27 JUNE BUT HAVE NOW SEEN OTTAWA'S RECORD.

2.

FROM YOUR TELEGRAM NO 27 TO WASHINGTON WE GATHERED THAT YOU

WERE CONTEMPLATING A DELEGATION TO OTTAWA EARLY NEXT MONTH PRESUMABLY

AS FOLLOW UP TO MEETING WITH HOWARTH. HOWEVER, IN THE LIGHT OF MORE

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, CTC POSTPONEMENT TO OCTOBER, AND US STATE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSAL THAT BILATERAL REVIEW SHOULD TAKE PLACE IN GENEVA THEREAFTER, WE THINK YOU MAY NOW BE UNDECIDED.

3. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO BE CONSULTED BEFORE YOU ENTER INTO

ANY COMMITMENT TO NEGOTIATE WITH CANADIANS BECAUSE WE THINK THAT THE

TIMING OF ANY SUCH NEGOTIATION MIGHT NEED CAREFUL CONSIDERATION.

MOREOVER IT IS APPARENT THAT MORE THAN A MERE RENEWAL OF ANNUAL

AGREEMENT MAY BE INVOLVED. WE APPRECIATE THAT YOUR APPROACH TO TIMING MUST BE DICTATED LARGELY BY STAFF AVAILABILITY BUT SEEN FROM

HERE THERE WOULD BE EVERY ADVANTAGE IN A DELIBERATE APPROACH TO AN

CCCASION WHICH MAY WELL BE OF WIDE SIGNIFICANCE. WE DO NOT NEED TO .

REMIND YOU OF OUR INTEREST IN ANY PROPOSAL TO WIDEN RESTRICTIONS

ON IMPORTS OF MAN-MADE FIBRE GARMENTS.

4. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE COULD SEE ALL AVAILABLE STATISTICS

INCLUDING ANY YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN AS A RESULT OF THE

MEETING WITH HOWARTH.

STEWART

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION

H.K.D.

n

LANT

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CONFIDENTIAL

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