TNAG-0300-FCO40-336-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalized-tariffs-preferences--1971 — Page 13

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8.

Schoffer had clearly been badly briefed or not

done his homework and he seemed genuinely surprised by

the facts which we placed before him. He confirmed that

the deadline which had originally been drawn up (see

CODEL E Brussels Tel. No. 956 of 8th November) would

now need to be abandoned. Dodge said that he would be

available at any time to assist Schoffer with any points

of detail on which he would wish to have further clarifica-

tion and Schoffer concluded by saying that he thought

unaware.

the meeting had been very useful and that he had certainly

had put before him issues of which he had hitherto been

He thought that much would depend on exactly

what assurances had been exchanged between E.E.C. and

H.M.G. officials and what status the Commission's legal

advisers afforded those assurances. He had been told

that at the technical level on both the E.E.C. and British

sides the existence of the assurances were well known but

perhaps they had not been repeated to the actual

negotiators themselves.

He was convinced that Hong Kong

had no knowledge of them and that Hong Kong had acted

strictly in accordance with the E.E.C./U.K. agreement on

Hong Kong reached on 2nd February, 1971.

9. For the moment the heat is right off and ball

firmly back in the Commission's court.

10.

Mills returns Hong Kong on flight BA802 arriving

14th November, p.m., and will give his assessment of

the meeting on his return.

Kabrend Mitts.

Please inform family.

B

ENSD

MILLS c/o Hong Kong Government Office, London

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