PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL
Despd. (88
2218
22 August, 1969.
24
(58)
667A
68 69
I am sorry that my first weeks in the F.C.O. with responsibility for Hong Kong affairs has been marked by the sharp differences which there have been between Hong Kong and Whitehall on the question of your textile negotiations with Canada. Speaking as one who was not concerned with the exchanges in June I must say that it seems to me that there have been faults on both sides which we should seek to eliminate for the future. Thus I entirely understand your irritation at the fact that you neger received any answer to your telegram No. 463 of 7 June when, as you rightly say in your telegram No. 638 of 13 August, you "clearly envisaged consultations on cottons and non-cottons, including the polyester/polynosic issue". The Board of Trade answer to this is that they did not think that a reply was necessary because they were just about to hold talks with Jordan in London. In these they say that they made clear that, because of wider considerations, they could not approve extension of restraint agreements and that they expected to be consulted fully in advance about any negotiations. If you ask me to put my finger on this point in any of the records of conversations which were made at the time I must admit frankly that I cannot. Snelling is away on leave so I cannot consult him about what he said (paragraph 3 of your telegram No. 639) but in the recollection of all those corcerned whom I have been able to consult there is little doubt that Jordan ought to have been clear that because of wider considerations the Board of Trade expected to be consulted fully in advance of any negotiations such as the Swedish (as happened) now the Canadian - which involved the making of voluntary restraint agreements in non-cotton items. After allthe whole purport of these discussions seems to have indicated H.M.G.'s interest in being consulted about the extension of voluntary restraints and the difficulties which such extension causes for the Board of Trade. However, I have expressed to the Board of Trade my own view which is that if any important statement was made to Jordan while he was in London to this effect the least we could have done was to have informed you in writing that it had been made. Be that as it may the annoyance in the Board of Trade which has resulted stems largely from the fact that they maintain that, although Jordan knew what their attitude was when he went to Canada, he nevertheless permitted himself to be edged into a position in which he became committed to this week's talks, the object of which, as seen by the Canadians and apparently by Jordan also, was the negotiation of an extension of the restraint agreement, plus the inclusion of polyester/polynosic shirts in it.
and
2. This is past history and as I said to the Board of Trade at the meeting on 13 August from whichF.C.0. telegrams Nos. 536 and 537 emerged I saw no use in raking it over. What was required, I felt,
His Excellency
8ir David Trench, GCMG, MC,
Government House,
HONG KONG.
PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL
/was
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.