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INMEDIATE
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CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
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Me Youde
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81x
D. Cropson If Goodfellow A03B/10
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جميع
Hayky
TO IMMEDIATE BANGKOK TELEGRAM NUMBER 331 OF 4 OCTOBER. 1973
PERSONAL FOR MR ROYLE FROM SECRETARY OF STATE.
HONG KONG AND THE EEC'S GENERALISED SCHEME OF PREFERENCES.
1. JULIAN AMERY AND I HAVE GIVEN MOST CAREFUL THOUGHT TO THE
MINUTES YOU SENT US ON THIS SUBJECT BEFORE YOU LEFT FOR THE
FAR EAST. I AM VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE RISK TO OUR INTERETS IN
HONG KONG AND MURRAY MACLEHOSE HAS SENT A TELEGRAM TODAY WARNING
THAT THE PRIME MINISTER IS LIKELY TO MEET CRITICISM ON THIS SCORE
WHEN HE VISITS HONG KONG. BUT TO PRESS OUR PARTNERS NOW TO
RENEGOTIATE THE 1971 AGREEMENT SEEMS TO ME TO VOLVE EVEN
GREATER RISKS, BOTH IN BRUSSELS AND AT WESTMINISTER. IF WE HAD
A REASONABLE CHANCE OF GETTING BETTER TERMS FOR HONG KONG NOW,
THINK THAT THESE RISKS WOULD BE WORTH TAKING, BUT THE ADVICE IS
THAT WE DO NOT HAVE THAT CHANCE. I HAVE THEREFORE DECIDED THAT
WE SHOULD FOLLOW THE ACCEPTED EEC PROCEDURES AND WAIT UNTIL THE
1974 ANNUAL REVIEW BEFORE FIGHTING HONG KONG'S BATTLE, WHEN, INCIDENTALLY, WE SHOULD HAVE MORE EVIDENCE ON WHICH TO BASE OUR
CASE.
2. 1 REALISE THAT THIS DECISION WILL DISAPPOINT HONG KONG AND I HAVE
THEREFORE ASKED JULIAN TO GET THE E U M COMMITTEE TO AGREE THAT WE
SHOULD MAKE A FIRM AND FULL STATEMENT OF HONG KONG'S CASE IN THE
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS WHEN THEY DISCUSS THE DETAILS OF THE G S P FOR
1974, EITHER THIS MONTH OR IN NOVEMBER, THIS WILL ENABLE US
TO PUT OUR PARTNERS ON NOTICE THAT NEXT YEAR WE WILL BE
PRESSING MOST RESOLUTELY FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE GOP TO HONG
KONG'S TEXTILES AND FOOTWEAR, THIS STATEMENT WILL, I HOPE, ENABLE
US TO HOLD THE POSITION IN HONG KONG UNTIL THE ANNUAL REVIEW STARTS
NEXT SUMMER. JULIAN WILL OF COURSE RESERVE MY POSITION IN CASE
THE COMMITTEE SHOULD NOT AGREE TO THIS.
DOUGLAS-HOME
PRISE C:
CONFIDENTIAL
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