TNAG-0298-FCO40-334-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalized-tariffs-preferences--1971 — Page 165

CONFIDENTIAL

12. I SAID THAT WHEN THE COMMUNITY'S STATEMENT HAD REFERRED TO THE

INTENTION TO EXPAND AND CEMENT RELATIONS WITH THOSE COUNTRIES

1

AFTER ENLARGEMENT, I UNDERSTOOD THE LAST TWO WORDS TO MEAN THAT THOSE COUNTRIES WOULD BE ASKED FROM THE TIME OF SIGNING THE TREATY OF ACCESSION TO DISCUSS THE DIFFICULTIES THAT THEY MIGHT MEET IN

THE FIELD OF TRADE.

13. I WAS CERTAIN THAT THE CAREFUL WORDING OF THE COMMUNITY DECLARATION ON THE ASIAN COMMONWEALTH DID NOT MEAN THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD WITHDRAW THIS DECLARATION OF INTENT

IF OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE

GENERALISED PREFERENCE SCHEME.

14. HONG KONG

WE HAD ACHIEVED AS MUCH AS WE COULD REASONABLY EXPECT IN THIS FIELD. WE HAD LAID DOWN VARIOUS MARKERS IN OUR REPLY TO THE COMMUNIT WHICH THE COMMUNITY WOULD NO DOUBT TAKE NOTE OF. I WAS SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY'S DECLARATION WOULD BE OF GREAT HELP TO HONG KONG AND THAT, AS A RESULT, IT WOULD BE EASIER TO PERSUADE THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN TO INCLUDE HONG KONG IN THE GENERALISED PREFERENCE SCHEME, -

15. AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONAL MEASURES

J

I DID NOT THINK THE TIMETABLE ON THIS WAS SLIPPING. A LOT OF PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE, IN THE NEGOTIATING CONFERENCE WE HAD SAID THAT THERE WERE SOME 14 SUBJECTS WHICH STILL REMAINED TO BE DISCUSSED AND WE HOPED TO PRESS THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS OF NEW ZEALAND AND SUGAR, WE WERE STILL WAITING FOR COMMUNITY REACTIONS ON MOST SUBJECTS: BUT IT WAS

IMPORTANT TO AVOID PUSHING THE COMMUNITY INTO A HASTY DECISION.

FCO PASS SAVING TO DUBLIN

PASSED SAVING TO BRUSSELS

E.I.D. TO ADVISE ON FURTHER DISTRIBUTION TO COMMONWEALTH POSTS.

O'NEILL

[REPEATED AS REQUESTED]

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DISTRIBUTION

E.I.D.

-4-

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

FRAME

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