TNAG-0385-FCO40-431-Trade-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-EEC-1974 — Page 42

RESTRICTED

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1

Telephone 01-

* file

187

PA

Your reference

TW Aston Esq CMG

Our reference

HKK 6/3

British Trade Commissioner HONG KONG

Date

29 November 1973

HONG KONG AND THE EEC GSP

180

1. You wrote to Liz Lowne on 23 November (your reference 5/12) and sent a telegram to her (number CREDA 144) on this subject.

2. I have been asked to request you to send telegrams on this subject to the FCO since we are lead Whitehall Department in this matter. This is because the main question concerns Hong Kong's constitutional position as a Dependent Territory of the UK rather than the nuts and bolts of the actual GSP. We would normally expect telegrams on this subject to be in the FRAME series.

3. Although this has arisen in connection with GSP there may be other subjects which, in the light of my explanation above, you may feel should come first to us.

4.

For your own information, the lead FCO Department is European Integration Department (External) in very close liaison with ourselves.

1

M A Goodfellow

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department