TNAG-0238-FCO40-274-Trade-relations-between-EEC-and-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 113

CYPHER/CAT A

CUT BIDAIAT

PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 769

TO HONG KONG

19 OCTOBER 1970

(15)

ра

*

19/10

107

CONFIDENTIAL. 191430.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION BY MR. JOHN RANKIN FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

ON 27 OCTOBER,

BEGINS:

TO ASK THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, WHETHER, IN THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR GREAT BRITAIN TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, HE WILL PROPOSE THAT HONG KONG SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY ACQUIRE ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP: AND IF HE WILL MAKE A STATEMENT ON THE MATTER,

ENDS.

2. PROPOSED REPLY IS AS FOLLOWS:-

BEGINS:

ON THE 15TH OF SEPTEMBER HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT SUBMITTED TO THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES A LIST OF DEPENDENT TERRITORIES FOR WHICH WE WOULD WISH TO SEE ASSOCIATE STATUS GRANTED UNDER PART IV OF THE TREATY OF ROME. THIS LIST INCLUDED HONG KONG. THE SIX HAVE EXPRESS- ED QUALIFIED AGREEMENT WITH H.M.G.'S PROPOSALS IN PRINCIPLE ONLY, BUT WITH A SPECIFIC RESERVATION IN THE CASE OF HONG KONG, H.M.G. HAVE REPLIED REGRETTING THE RESERVATION ON HONG KONG AND MAINTAIN- ING THAT HONG KONG AS A DEPENDENCY SHOULD BE TREATED NO LESS FAV- OURABLY IN AN ENLARGED COMMUNITY THAN THE DEPENDENCIES OF THE EXISTING MEMBER STATES, H.M.G. SEEK FULL AND EARLY CONSIDERATION

OF THE CASE OF HONG KONG.

ENDS,

DOUGLAS HOME

FILES:

H.K.D.

REF

113

:

COPY TO:

U.N.D.(1)

R.I.D.

MR. WILFORD

DDDDD

CONFIDENTE AL

1431

19