TNAG-0239-FCO40-275-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalised-tariffs-preferences--1970 — Page 142

CONFIDENTIAL

-2-

SUCH MEETINGS WERE USEFUL IN PROVIDING A FORUM WHERE A WIDE

VARIETY OF SUBJECTS COULD BE DISCUSSED. (THIS LENDS SUPPORT

TO THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY KARUDA REPORTED IN PARAGRAPH SIX

7.10005

UKDEL OECD TELEGRAM NUMBER 64 THAT THESE MEETINGS COULD

DEVELOP INTO AN INFORMAL INNER STEERING GROUP IN THE GATT).

3. EDMUNDS, MINISTER (ECONOMIC) AT THE AMERICAN EMBASSY, CONFIRMED

TO WAKEFIELD THAT MIYAZAWA, THE MINISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL

TRADE AND INDUSTRY, HAD TAKEN THE SAME LINE ON TEXTILES AT A

MEETING WITH THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR HERE LAST WEEK. EDMUNDS

THOUGHT, HOWEVER, THAT EVEN IF THE PROSPECTS FOR THE MILLS BILL

VERE UNCERTAIN THIS SESSION, THE JAPANESE WERE UNDER-ESTIMATING

THE POSSIBILITY OF TEXTILE LEGISLATION BEING PASSED THIS YEAR

BY MEANS OF A RIDER ATTACHED TO AN UMRELATED BILL. HE ALSO

THOUGHT THAT THE JAPANESE INDUSTRY WAS BEING TOO SANGUINE ABOUT

THE SORT OF ARRANGEMENT WHICH COULD BE WORKED OUT ONCE LEGISLATION

HAD BEEN PASSED, IN THAT EVENT, CONGRESS AND THE TEXTILE LOBBY WERE UNLIKELY TO LEAVE AMERICAN NEGOTIATORS MUCH FLEXIBILITY, EVEN

AFTER THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS.

F C O PASS ALL.

SIR J. PILCHER

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED].

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTION

COMMODITIES DEFT.

·AARICAN DEPT.

HONG KONG DEPT.

7.3.D.

CONFIDENTIAL

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION HI.K. INT. TRADE