TNAG-0238-FCO40-274-Trade-relations-between-EEC-and-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 163

4.

CONFIDENTIAL

-2-

1

IN VIEW OF THIS APPARENT INTERNAL EEC DEVELOPMENT, THINK WE WOULD BE ADVISED TO AWAIT THE NEW EEC DOCUMENTATION BEFORE WE GO FIRM ON RAISING THE ISSUE AT HIGHER LEVELS. APART FROM OTHER CONSIDERATIONS, SUCH AS THOSE LISTED IN JONES' RECENT TELEPHONE CALL TO MILLS, IT WOULD SEEM THAT A MOVE NOW AT A HIGH LEVEL WOULD SIMPLY RESULT IN A BLAND RESPONSE THAT ADEQUATE DOCUMENTS WERE BEING PREPARED, WITH AT BEST PERHAPS AN APOLOGY FOR SOME DELAY.

5.

RAVENNA ALSO QUESTIONED OUR RECENT REFERENCES TO (UNDERLINE NEXT WORD) CONSULTATIONS WHEN WE HAD ALREADY IN

JULY AGREED IN WRITING TO A FIRST-ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS

IN GENEVA''. HE PRESSED US TO FIX A SECOND-ROUND OF SERIOUS

NEGOTIATIONS HERE. IN A LATER TELEPHONE CALL, HE INDICATED TO ME THAT THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 12/16 WOULD BE THE MOST CON- VENIENT FROM THE EEC POINT OF VIEW, AND THAT HE WAS HOPEFULLY AND VERY PROVISIONALLY SETTING IT ASIDE ON ERNST'S CALENDAR.

FCO PLEASE PASS PRIORITY TO GOVERNOR HONG KONG, TO GENEVA (FOR JONES), FCO DEPARTMENTS AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

SIR J. BEITH

[REFEATED AS REQUESTED TO FCO FOSTS]

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION

HONG KONG DEPT

CONFIDENTIAL

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL

TRADE