TNAG-0298-FCO40-334-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalized-tariffs-preferences--1971 — Page 3

PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

FY MANILA

23040OZ

CONFIDENTIAL.

NEUTRAL/

CONFIDENTIAL

PA

1/28/4

TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG TEL NO 5 OF 23/4

INFO TO FCO WASHINGTON TOKYO AND UKMIS GENEVA FOR JONES.

FOLLOWING FROM JORDAN.

TEXTILES AND PRFERENCES.

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.51 27 APK 1971

HKKG/1

I MET HARADA (DG, INTERNATIONAL DE BUREAU OF MITI), WHO CLAIMS

TO HAVE MUCH INFLUENCE WITH MIYAZAWA, YESTERDAY. I EXPLAINED

OUR POSITION, THAT WHILE WE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER

RESTRAINT ON SIMILAR BASIS TO JAPANESE, IF APPROACHED,

(A) WE HAD HAD NO APPROACH FROM THE AMERICANS FOR A LONG TIME:

(B) WE HAD CONCLUDED A COTTON AGREEMENT RUNNING INTO

1973, UNLIKE THE JAPANESE WHOSE COTTON AGREEMENT EXPIRES

THE DAY BEFORE THE NEW RESTRAINT STARTS:

(C) WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR POSITION IN THE GPS.

2. SO FAR AS THE GPS WAS CONCERNED, I EMPHASISED

AGAIN THAT WE SOUGHT NO NEW ADVANTAGE BUT ONLY TO AVOID

DAMAGING DISCRIMINATION AND CONFIRMED, WHEN HARADA ASKED,

THAT WE DID NOT THEREFORE IND MUCH IF ANY PRODUCT WAS

TOTALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE SCHEME. I MENTIONED THE EEC

AGREEMENT TO INCLUDE US AND MR SATO'S RECENT STATEMENT IN

THE DIET. HERADA SAID AGAIN THAT IF WE WERE INCLUDED THE

LIST OF EXCLUDED PRODUCTS WOULD HAVE TO BE MUCH LONGER.

х

I PRESSED HIM HARD FOR A MEETING TO DISCUSS JAPANESE CONCERN

LOVER PARTICULAR PRODUCTS, REFERRING TO OUR PREVIOUS REQUESTS,

HE SAID HE WAS IN FAVOUR - 'PERSONALLY". I THINK

WE SHOULD TRY AGAIN EVEN THOUGH IT MAY COME TO NOTHING. /3.

CONFIDENTIAL

129

I TOLD