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3. THEY PRESSED THAT A REPRESENTATIVE DELEGATION FROM THE BOARD
SUPPORTED, AND PREFERABLY LED, BY A SENIOR OFFICIAL SHOULD PROCEED
TO LONDON THIS WEEKEND TO REPRESENT THESE ANXIETIES TO MINISTERS
IN BOTH THE F C O AND BOARD OF TRADE. QUITE APART FROM THEIR
GENUINE APPREHENSIONS OF THE EFFECTS OF THE TEXTILE COUNCIL'S
PROPOSALS ON HONG KONG'S INTERESTS, THEY FEEL THAT, IN ORDER
TO SAFEGUARD THEIR OWN POLITICAL POSITION VIS-A-VIS THE INDUSTRY
THEY JUST BE SEEN TO BE PUTTING ACROSS HONG KONG'S VIEWPOINT
SEPF COLON AND SEEKING ASSURANCES THAT SUGGESTIONS FOR MITIGATION
OF THE EFFECTS OF ANY NEW POLICY WOULD BE CONSIDERED SYMPATHETICALLY,
THE GOVERNMENT, FOR ITS PART, MUST DE SEEN TO BE DOING LIKEWISE
IF WE ARE TO AVOID BEING ACCUSED OF INDIFFERENCE. YOU WILL BE
AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE TO US HERE OF A CONTINUING AND MUTUAL
CONFIDENCE BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG AND ITS PRINCIPAL.
INDUSTRY. IT WOULD BE QUITE IMPOSSIBLE, THEREFORE, FOR ME TO
WITHHOLD PERMISSION FOR AN UNOFFICIEAL DELEGATION TO PROCEED
TO LONDON, EVEN WERE I IN A POSITION TO DO SO, AND I AM CONVINCED
THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE ASSOCIATED WITH ITS OBJECTIVES.
THE PRECISE FORM OF THIS ASSOCIATION 1 AN CONSIDERING FURTHER.
4. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR EARLY CONFIRMATION THAT YOU
WOULD BE PREPARED TO ARRANGE MEETINGS FOR THE DELEGATION AT
APPROPRIATE MINISTERIAL LEVEL.
SIR D. TRENCH
FILES
H.K.D.
COMMODITIES D.
TR. POL. D.
P.S. TO LORD SHEPHERD
SIR L. MONSON
MR. COMBS
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