TNAG-0303-FCO40-339-Effects-of-tariffs-on-imports-of-cotton-textiles-to-UK-from--1971 — Page 36

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

CENFO 008/07

IMMEDIATE

п

CYPHER

9/11

IMMEDIATE

went

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My daint

120

th

Auph Pan right.

FOLLOWING RECEIVED FROM YHONG KONG DATED 7 DECEMBER

SECRET

CHRISTIAN TELEGRAM NO. 014 OF 7 DECEMBER

Lit

SECRET

RECEIVED IN

LA

R.

FOLLOWING FROM ROUNTHWA ITE

116

R ̋GLTRY No. $1

NÇAI

REF.

121

COTTON TEXTILES

+KK 6/548/3

YOUR TEL ADDRESSED GOVERNOR HONG KONG 907 OF 4 DECEMBER.

1. A CONSIDERABLE HEAD OF STEAM BASED ON CONJECTURE IS ALREADY

BEING RAISED IN HONG KONG ON THIS ISSUE. AN EMOTIONAL OUTBURST

BY TEXTILE INDUSTRIALISTS AND PUBLICITY MEDIA SEEMS INEVITABLE

WHEN TERMS ARE ANNOUNCED. EDITORIAL IN TODAY'S INFLUENTIAL

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST CONCLUDES QUOTE WHITEHALL HAS MORE

THAN A MORAL OBLIGATION TO PROTECT HONG KONG FROM UNJUSTIFIED

TRADE RESTRICTIONS AND TO SAFEGUARD HER ECONOMIC STABILITY

AND THE LIVELIHOOD OF HER PEOPLE UNQUOTE. THIS THOUGHT IS ECHOED

IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE PRESS.

2. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR AN INDICATION OF THE ROLE TO BE

PLAYED BY THIS OFFICE WHEN ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE SINCE I SHALL BE

CALLED UPON FOR COMMENT BY THE PUBLICITY MEDIAS. HONG KONG GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES ARE OBVIOUSLY INHIBITED FROM

PUTTING BRITISH VIEWPOINT WHICH APPEARS IN DANGER OF GOING BY

DEFAULT.

3. BACKGROUND GUIDANCE WHICH I COULD USE INCLUDING SYMPATHETIC

REFERENCE TO HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS AND A BELIEF IN HER ABILITY

TO OVERCOME THESE WOULD BE OF CONSIDERABLE VALUE IN ASSUAGING

CRITICISM.

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