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that Mr Rippon had put it on record in Hong Kong, at the time of the negotiations with the Community, that we could reopen important textiles questions after entry. The psychological effect of discrimination by
This would arise if we Britain against Hong Kong would be serious. gave tariff preferences, for example, to Korea under the Community's Generalised Scheme of Preferences, which were denied to Hong Kong. To put Hong Kong's case to the Community and fail would be something; not to put it at all was unacceptable. Sir Alec Douglas-Home commented that the danger was that we would be under pressure to reopen other cases as well, but he would like to see exactly what Mr Rippon had said. The question was under study in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and he would have Hong Kong's interest in mind.
STERLING
12. Sir Murray MacLehose said that the Chancellor's offer to the overseas holders of sterling had been made in a form which did not fit
He would be Hong Kong for various technical and political reasons. having talks with Treasury officials later the same day. He hoped to persuade them that Hong Kong needed to maintain a lower proportion of its reserves in sterling and that they should have comprehensive discussions with his Financial Secretary during the forthcoming Finance Ministers meetings in Dar-es-Salaam and Nairobi.
13. Sir Alec Douglas-Home said that if discussions with the Treasury did not go well he would be prepared to get in touch with the Chancellor.
SUPERINTENDENT GODBER
14. Mr Royle said he had spoken to the Attorney General who advised that it would be wrong to amend the Fugitive Offenders Act in order to catch one man, who might anyway abscond.
15. Sir Murray MacLehose replied that the case of Superintendent Godber illuminated an admitted defect in the law. It was wrong in principle that British law should protect a man from prosecution in a British colony under a law which had been approved by HMG. If Superintendent Godber absconded while the law was in preparation this would be a pity, but it would show that the British Government were willing to help as far as possible. This was an important point in Hong Kong.
16. Sir Alec Douglas-Home said that we would be looking at the question further.
CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG
17. Sir Murray MacLehose said that the Secretary of State had handled the question with the Chinese Government in exactly the right way. The Chinese would continue to raise the subject but it seemed clear there would be no question of confrontation. indications that we had won this round.
There were ample
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