TNAG-0237-FCO40-273-Trade-relations-between-EEC-and-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 49

146

CONFIDENTIAL

HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO.421 TO FCO.

-3

WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE MEANINGFUL NEGOTIATIONS ON CATEG -

ORISATION.

5. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD NOW CONSIDER INTERCEDING

WITH THE COMMISSION AT AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL TO EXPRESS CONCERN

THAT IN THEIR APPROACH TO HONG KONG DUE REGARD IS NOT

BEING PAID TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE CT A. WE ARE NOT SUGGESTING (AS IS IMPLIED IN PARA. 2 OF UKMIS GENEVA TELEGRAM 25 TO ME)

THAT WE ARE REQUIRING THE E E C TO FORETELL THE CUTCOME BEFORE

NEGOTIATIONS HAVE STARTED. NOR ARE WE REFUSING TO NEGOTIATE

OR BEING UNDULY DOCTRINAIRE. BUT WE HAVE TOO MUCH AT STAKE.

IN THE E E C AND ELSEWHERE, AND IN COTTONS AS WELL AS OTHER TRADE,

WILLINGLY TO SHORTCUT THE ARRANGEMENTS OF THE C T A. THE E E C

CANNOT SIMPLY ASSUME COMPREHENSIVE RESTRAINT WILL BE CONCEDED

ON ALL COTTON TEXTILES WITHOUT JUSTIFYING THEIR REQUEST.

CONCESSION OF RESTRAINT ON BAD CRITERIA WOULD ACT

ANY

AS A MOST UNFORTUNATE PRECEDENT, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO

CURRENT U.S. REQUESTS FOR COMPREHENSIVE RESTRAINTS ON NON-COTTONS

TO WHICH THE E. E C ARE OPENLY OPPOSED.

6.

I APPRECIATE THAT WE MAY RUN THE RISK OF ANTAGONISING THE

COMMISSION. SET AGAINST THIS, HOWEVER, IS THE DANGER OF ACQUIES-

CENCE RESULTING IN DAMAGING PRECEDENTS. IN MY VIEW THE LATTER

OUTWEIGHS THE FORMER AT THIS FORMATIVE STAGE OF THE COMMON

COMMERCIAL POLICY.

( F C O PLS PASS TO ALL)''

SIR D TRENCH

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION

COMMODITIES DEPT.

H.K.DEPT.

F.EAST. DEPT.

AMER DEPT.

CONFIDENTIAL

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL TRA DE

COPIES TO:

MR. NICOLL B.O.T.

MR. GREGORY MINTECH VICTORIA ST.

MR. DUNNETT B.O.T.