CONFIDENTIAL
CYPHER/CAT A
IMMEDIACE HONG KONG TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TEL.NO. 749
CONFIDENTIAL 280!!CZ
[FRAME]
28 OCTOBER 1970
ADDRESSED TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, LONDON TELEGRAM
NUMBER 749 OF 28 CCTOBER 1970 REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO
CODEL BRUSSELS.
PERSONAL FROM GOVERNOR,
YOUR TELEGRAM 722.
HONG KONG AND E.E.C.
# FULLY APPRECIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GENERALIZED PREFERENCE SCHEME AND BRITAIN'S APPLICATION TO JOIN THE E.E.C. BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS TO DATE HAVE SUBSTANTIALLY INVERTED THIS RELATIONSHIP, OR AT LEAST ITS EMPHASIS, AS IT WAS EARLIER ANALYSED IN THE TELEGRAMS REFERRED TO IN YOUR PARA 5. 2. IT IS CLEARLY REASONABLE TO DESIRE THAT THERE SHOULD BE CO-ORDINATION OF POLICY ON THE G.P.S. BETWEEN THE E.E.C. AND APPLICANT COUNTRIES, BECAUSE ANY DIVERGENCE NOW WOULD MAKE IT NECESSARY TO NEGOTIATE AN ASSIMILATION OF POLICY IN THE CONTEXT CF THEIR APPLICATIONS. BUT THERE IS A REAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN THIS AND ENTRY NEGOTIATIONS PROPER, IN THAT THE G.P.S. IS A UNDERLINE NEXT THREE WORDS NEW AND GENERALIZED ARRANGEMENT BASED ON INTERNATIONAL PRINCIPLES ON WHICH FINAL DECISIONS HAVE NOT YET BEEN TAKEN BY THE E.E.C. OR BY OTHER COUNTRIES, IN CONTRAST WITH THE UNDERLINE NEXT WORD ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY ARRANGEMENTS THE EXISTENCE OF WHICH MAKES IT NECESSARY, IN THE NARROW CONTEXT OF BRITAIN'S APPLICATION TO JOIN, TO REQUEST THE UNDERLINE NEXT WORD SPECIAL CONCESSIONARY GRANT OF ASSOCIATED STATUS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BY RE-ACTING IMMEDIATELY TO AN INDICATION THAT ASSOCIATION IS LIKELY TO REFUSED BY IMPORTING THE ISSUE OF GENERALIZED PREFERENCES FROM OTHER CHANNELS OF
/NEGOTIATION
HICK 6/12
. CONFIDENTIAL
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