TNAG-0300-FCO40-336-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-generalized-tariffs-preferences--1971 — Page 28

CONFIDENTIAL

5. WE CANNOT ASSESS HOW ACCURATE THIS REPORT IS. BUT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND OUR CONCERN, SHOULD IT BE TRUE, AND THE EXTREMELY DAMAGING EFFECT, WHETHER OR NOT IT IS TRUE, THAT SUCH INFORMATION WOULD HAVE LOCALLY IF IT LEAKED OUT. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, I THINK IT WOULD BE MOST UNWISE FOR HONG KONG TO PURSUE THE QUESTION BILATERALLY IN BRUSSELS WITHOUT FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH

YOU. AS CATER AND HO WILL SHORTLY BE TRAVELLING TO WASHINGTON VIA LONDON (MY TELEGRAM NO.839 TO YOU), I THINK IT WOULD BE

HELPFUL IF THEY TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY OF DISCUSSING THIS QUESTION

WHILE PASSING THROUGH.

FCO PASS ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

NORMAN-WALKER

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC & POLITICAL DISTRIBUTION

HKD

EID (1)

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION FRAME

COPY TO:

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE,

54 PALL MALL

-2-.

CONFIDENTIAL