TNAG-0341-FCO40-377-Effects-on-Hong-Kong-of-long-term-policy-for-textiles-in-int-1972 — Page 41

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0003290

CONFIDENTIAL

19

42.

D.T.I.

Mias J. Elliott

lingootadt

Laird opening by referring to a suggestion made

by Mr Royle (Parliamentary Secretary, P.C.0.) at a dinner party at Admiralty House in January, that an agreed paper

should be prepared covering:

(1)

the present position of Hong Kong in

G.A.T.T./C.T.C;

(2)

likely developments in the event that

either

(a) the members of the enlarged

Community retained individual

or

membership of G.A.T.T;

(b)

the E.E.C. assumed obligations

as a single G.A.T.T. contracting

party;

?

(3)

an identification and examination of

problems raised by (2)(a) and (b); and

(4) possible solutions to the problems set

out under (3).

He thought it would be necessary to discuss (4) both with

the E.E.C. and with the G.A.T.T. Secretariat.

43.

I said I thought the first step should be the preparation of an agenda to be considered by a joint meet- ing of Hong Kong and U.K. officials in, say, September after both sides (and particularly the U.K. side) had done some

research. So far as we were concerned there was

/ (a)

CONFIDENTIAL

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