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CONFIDENTIAL
HKK. 6/18
Reference..
12)
Mr. D.M. Edwards
Legal Adviser
Thank you for your minute of 14 August about the draft despatch giving the Hong Kong Government more freedom in their textile negotiations with other countries.
2.
It is not the intention that the despatch delegating responsibility for commercial relations to the Hong Kong Government should be made public. Although the Governor will doubtless have to inform his Executive Council and the Textile Advisory Board that he has received delegation of authority to con- clude trade agreements, it is not intended that the despatch should be shown to the latter, although the Governor may need to show it to the Executive Council. In our telegram No. 274 of 19 June to Geneva we said that we would prefer this change in Hong Kong's commercial relations to come into effect with the GATT with as little publicity as possible and, in view of the situation in regard to the Chinese Peoples' Government, the same policy will have to be adopted in Hong Kong. The statement in the Governor's telegram No. 525 of 10 August that he could not disclose two sentences of paragraph 4 of the despatch "outside official circles without severe protest" refers doubtless to the Textile Advisory Board and not to general publication. It would seem therefore unnecessary to send two despatches to the Governor as you suggest.
3. I attach an amended copy of the draft despatch including a number of the amendments proposed by the Governor and I should be grateful to receive your comments on these amendments. The matter has now become urgent since the final version of the despatch, after agreement of the Board of Trade and "inistry of Technology has been obtained, will have to go to Ministers for approval before being sent to the Governor. It may be necessary for the Hong Kong Government to commence negotiations with America in regard to non-cotton textiles in the near future and, to permit this, the terms of the despatch will need to have received ministerial approval.
་ ༠ .
(G.F. Kinnear)
Hong Kong Department
17 August,1970
Copy to: Mr. Hale,
Commodities Department.
/Mi
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