TNAG-0385-FCO40-431-Trade-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-EEC-1974 — Page 127

GPS 300 IMMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 680945Z

CONFIDENTIAL

Аккор

JA

(153

CONFIDENTIAL

FRAME/

A

73

TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 1287 OF 8 NOVEMBER/INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP BRUSSELS, BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE), UKMIS GENEVA.

GPS: EEC: HK.

52) YOUR TELEGRAM 5359.

149

154

AT THE MOMENT ONLY AFP APPEARS TO HAVE REPLAYED TO HK A VERY SHORT REPORT ON WHAT THE CHANCELLOR SAID TO THE PRESS OUTSIDE THE COUNCIL CHAMBER: ONLY TWO (LEFT WING) NEWSPAPERS HAVE USED THIS

SO FAR.

2. WE ARE UNCERTAIN WHETHER THE CHANCELLOR'S REMARKS TO JOURNALISTS AND TELEVISION REPLACED OR COMPLEMENTED THE UNATTRIBUTABLE BRIEFING YOU WERE TO GIVE. IN BRUSSELS.

3. WE MUST STILL EXPECT A GOOD DEAL OF CLOSE QUESTIONING BY THE PRESS WHEN THE FULL STORY BREAKS HERE. UNTIL WE HAVE MORE MATERIAL FRON YOU WE WILL BASE REPLIES ON BRUSSELS TELEGRAM 5359 TO YOU,

4. WE CANNOT GIVE ANY UNATTRIBUTABLE PRESS BRIEFING UNTIL WE HAVE

*

(152)

THE INFORMATION REQUESTED IN PARA 4 OF OUR TELEGRAM 1265 TO YOU. (149)

WE HAVE, FOR INSTANCE SEEN REFERENCES TO A 40 PER CENT INCREASE IN THE TARIFF QUOTAS BUT ARE UNCERTAIN AS TO WHAT PERIOD (AND COUNTRIES) THIS INCREASE REFERS TO AND WHICH PRODUCTS ARE INVOLVED. IF, SAY, THE QUOTE INCREASE UNQUOTE IS IN PRODUCTS WHICH HONG KONG DOES NOT MANUFACTURE OR WHICH AT PRESENT WE EXPORT DUTY-FRES TO THE UK, THEN TO GIVE THIS POINT UNDUE EMPHASIS WOULD BE COUNTER- PRODUCTIVE. NOR DO WE KNOW WHAT BASE YEAR HAS BEEN TAKEN IN CALCULATING THE QUOTAS, WHETHER 'BUTOIRS HAVE BEEN AMENDED, IF SO TO WHAT EXTENT AND FOR WHAT PRODUCTS, AND WHETHER THE BENSITIVE LIST HAS BEEN REDUCED AND, IF SO, TO OUR ADVANTAGE. THESE WERE ALL POINTS ON WHICH, AS YOU SAID IN YOUR TELEGRAM 1095, YOU HAVE

BEEN PREOSING STRONGLY.

APD

15. WE THINK IT

CONFIDENTIAL