pre agreement
h How GA multi-
multi-fibre ar
UK and Hong Kong interests on this issue arc closely similar, in that we both want to see a new, hulti-fibre agrement that gives the developing countries a better deal than the cotton Long-Term Arrangement (LA) which expires on 31 December 1973. we have kept closely in touch, and long long have, through us, been privy to the intra-community discussions of what the 20 wants to see in the new apreement. There is little reul consensus within the Community, and France is becoming increas- inly isol tod by her at empts to insist on attitudes and wording that are unacceptable on principle to Germany and the UK, as well as having no chance of finding favour with any other negoticting country, except possibly the USA, The final session opens in Geneva on 3 December and is supposed to continue until agreement is reached.
fr Jordan may wish to speculate on the chances of sucess or breakdown of the negotiations, but is unlikely to naks any specific request for UK help (which can only be given in the form of pressure within the Community, whose mouth icce is the Commision) in furthering hong song'a objectives; these are, after all, es entially the same as ours.
17
The 240 is
ong Kong regards Article 4 (bileteral aprocmants) no the crucial part of the new instrument, and is persicularly anxious that the provisions for less resuristive treatment under bilateral agreements then under tho safeguard clause should be positively stated, preferably quantified. unlikely to be able to agree (especially as it has no mandate on this point) to any wording that goes beyond "substantially less restrictive both to reference period and growth ratos". Even that much might cause difficulty.
Common Commercial Policy of the Nine, linked with GGP
Hong Kong attaches the greatest importance (perhaps an excessive emphasis, given the re-l effects on trade; see under e below) to the exclusion of Hong Kong's textile exports from the MLC's GUP, to which the US aligns on 1 January 1974. Che statement by hr John Davies in the C Council on 6 overber, repeated by hr Anthony Aoyle in the House of Commons, (text at Annex B) commits us to et'capting to remove this discrimination against Jong Kong in 1975. we have also stated in Brus, els that our agreement to the terms of alignment to the GP on textiles is linked with scceptance by the Community of the need to adopt a programme and timetable for progress towards a unified market for texitles which would include free circulation of imports. Hong Kong may four that our more trotectionist partners may be obstructive on the progress towards a unified murkot 12 we insint too strongly on the need to extend the Gur to long ilong's textiles. The first objcctive is of direct commercial and industrial importance to the UK, and is also in the longer tern interests of liong Kong, since the principal room for expension
W/1503
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