TNAG-0345-FCO40-381-UK-and-Hong-Kong-talks-on-cotton-textiles-1972 — Page 83

PASLANMAKALELLada bahasan kuat men”. Ma

CONFIDENTIAL

New Lambig.

Fi

при

earring SetRE

Pl. note x

MR KEEBLE

HONG KONG COTTON TEXTILES

4LD

1.

Your minute of 27 January.

2.

IN Clawly

DIN RIGISTRY No.51

...72

HKK, 6/545/1

I have not seen Mr Hale's minute or the draft to

Sir John Eden to which you refer as my pre-occupation with

45.

troop movements to British Honduras meant I had to ask Mr Wilford to submit the papers direct to Ministers.

2.

But I have the following points on your minute:

(a) paragraph 1. I understand that there were some further points which the UK side were in fact ready to give away: it is therefore not true to say that Mr Haddon Cave's "agreement" represented the most we .could concede. As regards trouble for the future,

there are financial and other matters which we have to take up with Hong Kong and issues like that of textiles do inhibit us in getting what we want.

(b) paragraph 2. I have myself made the point about GATT to Hong Kong unofficials but there is a difference in our obligations to a Dependent Territory and a foreign country. To put it at its most material we cannot escape the internal consequences of our decisions where a dependent territory is concerned: we can where an

Arts. 73 and 103 independent territory is concerned.

of the UN Charter give us scope for argument in support of discrimination.

}

(c) paragraph 3. I agree with the first sentence but I believe that the increase in forward contracts as far as Hong Kong was concerned was of the order of 8%. It is hardly fair to describe an increase of this extent as "massive" or to make a dependent territory in these circumstances pay for the excesses of other exporters.

WRW Jama

(L Monson)

27 January 1972

Copy to:

gra

Mr Wilford/ Mr Laird

Mr Hale

CONFIDENTIAL