TNAG-0376-FCO40-422-Discussions-with-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 30

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

1171 G.13.0.d

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41640) D2397300 350m

*17257) D4.377459

already such cases in the pipeline I would be prepared (as the less damaging course) to initiate legislation

in this country to abolish the death sentence in the

Colony - a policy which would nevertheless be strongly

resented by a majority of public opinion in Hong Kong.

8. Yet another issue where our interests diverge is

in relation to the Community's Generalised Scheme of

Preferences. Under the Treaty of Accession we are

obliged to align ourselves with the Community scheme

on 1 January 1974. In the enlargement negotiations we with difficulty persuaded the Community to agree that

its scheme should apply to Hong Kong, but they insisted,

and we accepted, that textiles and footwear should bo

specifically excluded. Thus on 1 January 1974 we will

in effect have to discriminate against Hong Kong export

the Degro M in these sectors in favour, for example, of South Korea.

The arguments against trying to reopen at Brussels

something which was settled in the negotiations are

formidable. But you will appreciate the political

difficulties here and in Hong Kong of being seen lo

discriminate against Hong Kong in this way. The probl

is being urgently examined by my officiulo.

9. Air services agreements in which Britain galon

handsomely by controlling landing rights at Hong Kong (while paying nothing for the building or inhegaram

of the facilities at Kai Tak) are another hopes oi

contention. In the context of the 1980 negol Anbie

negotiablom

decided for political reasons that it was in the thuis.

Kingdom interest to permit KLM a service to long; Rows.

Now SAS want a similar service, and the low Ropes

/Govern

CONFIDENTIAL

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