10
Jur
CYPHER/CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
PRIORITY UK MISSION GENEVA TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM NUMBER 53
4 FEBRUARY 1979.
CONFIDENTIAL
NEUTRAL/
ADDRESSED TO F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 53 OF FEBRUARY 4 R/F 1 HONG KONG ( PRIORITY) ROUTINE BONN UKDEL E E C BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE) # KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON AND SAVING TO WASHINGTON ( FOR HERMANN).
UKDEL E E C TELEGRAM NUMBER 29. FROM JONES.
LAST
REF.
EXT
RIF.
I NEED HARDLY ADD THAT, IF WHAT ERNST IS ALLEGED TO HAVE SAID IN BONN IS CORRECT, HE HAS COMPLETELY MISREPRESENTED ATTITUDE TAKEN BY HONG KONG OFFICIALS IN BRUSSELS. UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL IN HIS CASE.
2. DURING DISCUSSIONS WE MADE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR TO HIM
(A) THAT WE WERE NOT NEGOTIATING, OR EVEN CONDUCTING PRELIMINARY CONSULTATIONS WITH A VIEW TO LATER NEGOTIATIONS, BUT HAD COME TO FIND OUT WHAT INCREASED EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES AND MORE FLEXIBLE CONDITIONS' THE E E C WERE PREPARED TO OFFER HONG KONG IN THE LIGHT OF THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE DECEMBER MEETING OF THE
GATT COTTON TEXTILES COMMITTEE AND
B) THAT PURELY AS A MATTER OF STATISTICAL FACT HIS CLAIM THAT HONG KONG'S EXPORTS OF COTTON TEXTILES TO THE COMMUNITY IN 1969 WERE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH WAS NOT CORRECT CONSEQUENTLY HIS TENTATIVE SUGGESTION OF LIMITS AT AVERAGE 67/69 LEVELS WITH GROWTH, OR AT 69 LEVEL WITH LITTLE OR NO GROWTH, WAS UNACCEPTABLE.
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3. IN COURSE OF DISCUSSION ERNST REITERATED THAT EVERYTHING SAID WAS WITHOUT COMMITMENT ON BOTH SIDES AND THAT FURTHER SUBSTANTIVE TALKS ON BASIS OF C T C CONCLUSIONS WOULD BE HELD IN MARCH. IN THE LIGHT OF ALL THIS TO CLAIM IN BONN THAT WE HAD ACCEPTED IDEAS TO WHICH HE COULD NOT EVEN COMMIT THE COMMISSION SEEMS INADMISSABLE.
14.
CONFIDENTIAL
RECED IN
REGISTRY N.31
-5. EL 1970
NKK6/6
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