TNAG-0385-FCO40-431-Trade-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-EEC-1974 — Page 65

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

HOFODE 28

RR DIT CREDA

RR

GRS 630

EN CLAIR

FM BTC HONGKO NG 2809052

UNCLASSIFIED

NO DISTRIBUTION

アメ

ADVANCE COPY 24

182

HKIOD (M. GOODFELLOW).

HD TRED

K245

E.ID(Mr. Fitzherbert).

188

184

من

TO ROUTINE D T I TELEGRAM NUMBER CREDA 144 OF 28 NOVEMBER

INFO ROUTINE F C 0.

FOR MISS LOWNE (C AND T DIV) COPY TO COHEN (CRE2) INFO HKIOD (GOODFELLOW), EPD (FINLAYSON) AND EID (FITZHERBERT).

G.S.P.

MY LETTER 5/12 OF 23 NOVEMBER.

Па

مضار من

[홈]

handed fo

Me Dorward & Me Sellers HKGO. PA.

#

PRESS TODAY CARRIES TEXT OF STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN OF HONG KONG COTTON SPINNERS ASSOCIATION EXPRESSING CONCERN THAT ''BRITISH GOVERNMENT COULD HAVE AGREED TO A POSITION WHEREBY ONE OF ITS DEPENDENT TERRITORIES SHOULD HAVE BEEN SINGLED OUT FOR DISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT IN THE U.K. MARKET AND THAT OUR COMPETITORS WITH NO CONSTITUTIONAL TIES WITH THE U.K. WHATSOEVER, SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY FAVOURED''. STATEMENT CALLS FOR BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO RECTIFY IMMEDIATELY ITS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG TEXTILES AND FOOTWEAR.

2.

OTHER POINTS IN THE LONG TEXT ARE:-

A) MR. RIPPON PROMISED THAT HONG KONG INTERESTS WOULD BE PROTECTED AND BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE ON MANY OCCASIONS GIVEN PUBLIC ASSURANCES THAT THEY WOULD DEFEND HONG KONG INTEREST

IN E.E.C.:

B) STRONG STATEMENT BY MR. DAVIES IN BRUSSELS IS APPRECIATED BUT THIS IS THE ONLY EVIDENCE (AND BY IMPLICATION NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE) OF EFFECTIVE DEFENCE OF HONG KONG INTERESTS:

C)

SINCE UK HAS AGREED TO NEW COUNTRIES BEING INCLUDED IN G.S.P. IN 1974 WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO DEFER UNTIL 1975 PRESSING HONG KONG'S CASE? AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THIS IS NOT SUCCESSFUL? D) BECAUSE OF LONG FORWARD ORDERING REMOVAL IN 1975 WOULD NOT AFFECT MARKET FOR SOME TIME AFTERWARDS AND DAMAGE DONE BY THEN MAY BE IRREVERSIBLE:

E) UNFAVOURABLE PRECEDENT HAS BEEN SET WHICH COULD HAVE WIDER REPERCUSSIONS:

F) TIME HAS COME FOR CONSIDERATION TO BE GIVEN TO REMOVING U.K. COMMONWEALTH PREFERENCE IN HONG KONG.

28-X1

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