TNAG-0239-FCO40-275-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalised-tariffs-preferences--1970 — Page 105

Flag

243

Flag B Flag C

Flag D

Mr. Statham

Sir C. O'Neill

Reference......

CONFIDENTIAL

9

し

пс

-24.

باسط

1 Künnen 10.5.)

Кинем

п

Generalised Preferences Hong Kong

ビ

In a report of this subject by Mr. Jones, Counsellor (Hong Kong Affairs) in Geneva, he says (para. 16) that the key to Hong Kong's inclusion lies with the EEC, and suggests that only Ministerial pressure, preferably by Mr. Rippon, will shift the Six. T.P.D. have asked for our views on this point. (See also Mr. Bottomley's comments).

2.

Ministers have not yet decided how the question of Hong Kong should be handled in the enlargement negotiations, but it has been the Department's view (and that of the Hong Kong Government) that it would not be good tactics to raise the question of Hong Kong at an early stage of the negotiations. Unless therefore anything of substance is said on the subject in the meeting of Deputies today, it would probably be undesirable to raise with the Community the question of Hong Kong as a beneficiary under the Preference Scheme in the context of the enlargement negotiations; it would be better to do so as a separate exercise.

3. If we are to make an approach, it should be made sometime this month, before firm decisions are taken. last occasion on which we put our views on this to the Community was when Mr. Hijzen was here on 24 September. Mr. Rippon could, if he agrees, raise the matter with Ministers of the Six in the margin of the meeting on 27 October; alternatively, Sir C. O'Neill may wish to sound out Sachs at the next meeting of Deputies.

The

PL

247

Anseins

(A. H. Brind)

E.I.D.

1 October, 1970

0.0.

Mr. Ford

Mr. Robinson

Mr. Britten

Geneva telegram No. 705 reports E. Tran of the Commission as telling Mr. Jones that in the light of the exclusion of textiles from the UK offer, all the Six had now agreed to do nothing for Hong Kong with in the generalised preference scheme.

Mr. Jones argued that our exclusion of textiles did not mean we were doing less than the Six . Tran said he would

180

Page 105Page 106