TNAG-0329-FCO40-365-Briefs-for-UK-officials--visits-to-Hong-Kong-1972 — Page 11

(885363)

Dd. 896639 1,000M 8/71 St.S.

NOTHING TO BE Written IN THIS MARGIN

CONFIDENT IAL

Registry No.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret.

Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted. Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

.In Confidence

DRAFT BRIEF

To:-

COMMERCIAL PROBLEMS

Cotton Textiles

Type 1 +

From

Настовой

Telephone No. & Ext.

Department

1. After discussions arising from our decision to

retain quotas as well as introducing tariffs, Hong

Kong reluctantly agreed not to pursue further their

outstanding requests for 1972, but asked for early

talks with HMG, before the negotiations between the

enlarged Community and Hong Kong over the alignment

of our arrangements with Hong Kong and those of the

Six. During his visit to Hong Kong, the Secretary of

State agreed that the DTI should be asked to arrange

such meetings as soon as possible. Mr Ridley of the

DTI has agreed that when he visits Hong Kong at the

end of April, he will discuss this problem. Hong Kong

were naturally anxious that arrangements should be

agreed in good time in order that their exporters may

know where they stand in order to be able to enter

into contracts for 1973. Before visiting Hong Kong, Mr Ridley will have had discussions with Mr Ernst of

the Commission. As a result of this meeting it is

hoped that he will be sufficiently informed of the EEC's attitude to have meaningful discussions in Hong

Kong.

Ave

Non-Cotton Textiles

2.

200

The British textile industry have approached the

CONFIDENTIAL

/DTI