TNAG-0243-FCO40-279-Conduct-of-Hong-Kong-commercial-relations-1973 — Page 133

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2.0. TELEGRAM NO.515 TO HONG KONG.

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ARRANGEMENTS SATISFYING TWO CRITERIA, VIZ:

(1) THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG CAN REACH SUCH AGREEMENTS ON NON- COTTON TEXTILES AS THEY WISH WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTS, AND

(11) HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WILL NOT FIND THEMSELVES PREJUDICED IN PURSUING THEIR OWN COMMERICAL POLICIES BY THE FACT THAT THEY WILL BE REGARDED AS HAVING JEOPARDISED THEIR OWN POSITION BY AUTHORISING THE GOVENMENT OF HONG KONG TO REACH SUCH AGREEMENTS. AS REGARDS INTERNATIONAL GATHERINGS AT WHICH NON-COTTON TEXTILES MAY BE DISCUSS- ED I HOPE THAT, AS IN THE COTTON TEXTILES COMMITTEE, ARRANGEMENTS CAN BE WORKED OUT ON THE SPOT WHEREBY THE EXPRESSION OF CONFLICTING VIEWS

CAN USUALLY BE AVOIDED.

6. APART FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS, THIS DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY

WILL HAVE TO BE DEFENSIBLE TO THE UNITED KINGDOM TEXTILE INDUSTRY.

AS REGARDS QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS, HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WILL THEREFORE, HAVE TO BE FREE TO TREAT HONG KONG IN NON-COTTON

TEXTILE MATTERS

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(A) IN THE SAME WAY AS THEY TREAT ANY OTHER SUPPLIER OF SUCH TEXTILÉŞ

AND

B) IN THE SAME WAY AS ANY OTHER IMPORTER OF SUCH TEXTILES TREATS

IMPORTS FROM HONG KONG FOLLOWING RESTRAINTS CONCEDED BY HONG KONG,

HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WILL, OF COURSE, ACT IN RESPECT OF HONG

KONG ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR NORMAL LIBERAL TRADING POLICIES

AND GATT PRINCIPLES,

7. BECAUSE OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG

KONG'S INTERNATIONAL TRADING RELATIONS, THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG

WILL HAVE TO KEEP HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT INFORMED ABOUT WHAT THEY

ARE DOING. I RELY ON YOU ALSO TO KEEP ME INFORMED OF MATTERS

AFFECTING THE CONDUCT OF SEPARATE NEGOTIATIONS BY HONG KONG.

MOREOVER, THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION BEING WHAT IT IS, HER MAJESTY'S

GOVERNMENT MUST RESERVE THEIR RIGHTS IN RESPECT OF ANY ACTION THE

GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG MAY PROPOSE TO TAKE WITHIN THE TERMS OF

THIS DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY, BUT HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WILL

NOT NORMALLY EXPECT TO INTERVENE, AND IF ON OCCASION IT IS PROPOSED

THAT A POLICY WITH WHICH THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG DISAGREE SHOULD

BE FOLLOWED BY HONG KONG THE RIGHTS OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT

CONFIDENTIAL

WILL BE