TNAG-0299-FCO40-335-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalized-tariffs-preferences--1971 — Page 72

Mr Laird

Reference

175

HONG KONG AND THE JAPANESE GPS

1. As a response to the Prime Minister's message to Mr Sato is unlikely before 20 June, and as on that date the Japanese hold a Cabinet meeting to decide their GPS (which they hope to introduce on 1 August), the Anglo- Japanese Ministerial Consultations of 10-11 June are the last opportunity to persuade the Japanese against their apparent intention to relegate Hong Kong (and other British dependencies) to a hypothetical second stage to be reviewed alongside other "problem" candidates for beneficiary status.

2. Events have moved fast in the last four days and, as a result of various telegrams from Tokyo, two draft briefs for the Ministerial consultations were prepared and discarded and the third, and I hope, final brief is at (169).

3.

You will, therefore, wish to see the following documents: -

Folio 163

Folio 165

Tokyo telegram No 412 relating to the Prime Minister's message being handed to Mr Sato.

First draft brief which had to be rewritten because of Tokyo telegram No 421 at Folio 166.

Second draft brief.

Folio 167

Folio 168

My comments on this brief.

Folio 169

Folio 170

The final brief which is, I hope you will agree, an improvement on brief No 2.

Tokyo telegram No 425 which resulted in the final draft having a sentence added (PS to Folio 171) and the possible deployment of Annex B at Folio 172.

The final brief will not be prepared before Monday June should you have anything to add.

June 1971

La. blanding

J A Clewley

DD 737719 557664 500M 2/71 GM 3643/2