TNAG-0337-FCO40-373-Visit-of-the-Chancellor-of-the-Duchy-of-Lancaster--Sir-Geoff-1972 — Page 60

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Line to Take

9. Hong Kong's motive in raising this rather specialised

issue with Mr Rippon is presumably to try to get some

commitment from him that HMG will press the Colony's case

forcibly against these restrictions once we are in the EMC.

The degree of priority that we give to this particular issue

must depend on other UK EEC commercial policy issues in play

at the time and our assessment of the amount of ammunition

that would be required to get the French to budge.

III. HONG KONG AND THE EEC:

Line to Take

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

1. We do not want any kind of "institutional

arrangement

and in any case it is unlikely that such an arrangement could

be agreed with the Community. As regards the cleur channel

of communication, the Hong Kong Commercial Counsellor in

Brussels should continue to deal with the British delegation

or with the Community as appropriate.

2. Hong Kong's fear is that, in a clash of interests where

HMG has to choose between a policy agreed by her pebremst in

the Community and one which is in Hong Kong's interes to,

their interests would not be properly looked after. The oly

answer we can give to this, and it is one which has been

stressed to the Hong Kong Government many times by the

Secretary of State and others, is that when we are in Burong

it is our firm intention to do our best to see that the WWO

adopts a liberal policy. It is HMG's view that we can do more

for Hong Kong as a member of the Community.

Similarly, an

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