CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
Mr.Laird (Hong Kong Department)
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CC: Mr. de Courcy-Ireland (American Department)
Secretary of State's Visit to the United States :
Generalised Preference and Hong Kong
Mr. de Courcy-Ireland tells me that in a telegram from Washington, which has not yet been distributed, the Embassy say that there will be a meeting between the Secretary of State and Mr. Rogers in New York and that Mr. Rogers will be given a defensive brief on Generalised Preferences and Hong Kong. After discussion with Mr. de Courcy-Ireland I agreed that we should prepare a brief for the Secretary of State on this subject.
2. The question is whether the brief should be "defensive defensive" or whether we should propose that the Secretary of State should raise the matter with Mr. Rogers. I take the latter view. We would miss
a trick if the Secretary of State did not raise it when the Americans are evidently expecting us to do so. We should omit no opportunity of bringing home to the Americans the importance we attach to this issue. decision by the Americans to exclude Hong Kong would almost certainly ensure that the Japanese would follow suit and would probably influence the EEC strongly.
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3. The attached draft brief therefore suggests that the Secretary of State should take the initiative in raising the matter. If you or Mr. de Courcy-Ireland have any disagreement with the line taken we had better discuss it tripartitely on the telephone since
Mr. de Courcy-Ireland will wish to get the brief forward as soon as possible.
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(R. G. Britten) Trade Policy Department
16 October, 1970
CONFIDENTIAL
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