TNAG-0240-FCO40-276-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalised-tariffs-preferences--1970 — Page 192

310

CYPHER/CAT A

IMMEDIATE CODEL BRUSSELS

TELEGRAM NO. CODEL 187

CONFIDENTIAL 24183ZZ

NEUTRAL

CONFIDENTIAL

TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

04 NOVEMBER 1970

ADDRESSED TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TELEGRAM NO. CODEL

187 OF @4 NOVEMBER 1973 REPEATED FOR INFORMATION IMMEDIATE TO

WASHINGTON PRIORITY TO UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JONES) HONG KONG TOKYO

AND SAVING TO BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE)

FCO TEL. NO. 2498 TO WASHINGTON. +809

GENERALIZED PREFERENCES.

THE COMMUNITY WAS NOT READY TO DISCUSS THE QUESTION, OF HONG KONG

IN SUBSTANCE AT THE MEETING OF DEPUTIES ON 4 NOVEMBER. THEIR

RESPONSE TO MY RE-STATEMENT OF THE CASE FOR INCLUDING HONG KONG IN

NOT

THE UNCTAD PREFERENCE SCHEME WAS THEREFORE NON-COMMITAL ALTHOUGH IT WAS NEGATIVE (FULL REPORT FOLLOWS BY SAVING TELEGRAM).

A

2. DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE HAD SOME INFORMAL INDICATIONS THAT

THE COMMUNITY MAY BE MOVING TOWARDS INCLUDING HONG KONG IN THEIR

PREFERENCE SCHEME SUBJECT TO CERTAIN SPECIAL RESTRICTIVE CONDITIONS,

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD BE WISE TO REFER TO THIS IN OUR

CONTACTS WITH THE AMERICANS AT THIS STAGE. IF WE DO SO WE RUN SOME

RISK OF UPSETTING THE DISCUSSION IN BRUSSELS ON THE POSSIBLE INCLUS-

ION OF HONG KONG BY THE EEC WHICH IS STILL AT A VERY EARLY STAGE. THE SAME CBJECTIONS WOULD NOT APPLY, AS SEEN FROM HERE, TO DRAWING THE ATTENTION OF THE AMERICANS TO THE FACT THAT THE EEC HAS NOT YET TAKEN A DECISION ON HONG KONG IN RELATION TO THE GPS, AND REITERATING THE HOPE THAT THE US GOVERNMENT WILL NOT ADOPT AN

ALL-OR-NOTHING ATTITUDE IN ISOLATION.

F C O PSE PASS IMMEDIATE TO WASHINGTON AND PRIORITY TO UKMIS GENEVA (FOR JONES) HONG KONG, TOKYO

PASSED SAVING TO BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE)

SIR C O'NEILL

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

COPY TO:

INTERNATIONAL TRADE DISTRIBUTI ON

T.P.D.

AMERICAN D.

H.K.D.

E.I.D.

309

313

CONFIDENTIAL

MR.M.P. LAM, CRE D.T.I.

HKK6/12