TNAG-0385-FCO40-431-Trade-relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-EEC-1974 — Page 71

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Liss L L Lowne

Department of Trade & Industry

Chemicals & Textiles

vision

1182

فلس Presse

branch 1

illbank Tower

Millbank

London Juli 4QU

I

RECOR RECIP

-3 DEC19/3

HKK 6/3

26.71

23 Lovember 1973

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34.

As you may know Hong Kong is currently staging the Annar reeting of the Textile Institute Cverseas Conference and it will not surprise you that although this is intended basically to be a meeting of technical representatives. to discuss technical problems of the industry it has, at times, taken on the aspects of a mini-GAT T with Hong Kong speakers taking the opportunity to press the case for removal of discrimination under the C Indeed when opening the Conference David Jordan himself did not feel that he could leave this subject entirely untouched although he did his best to try to put it in a balanced perspective. I enclose copies of the press reports of the speeches made at the opening session and at some of the other functions held in connect- ion with the Conference.

.11 of this has coincided with a new wave of press and industry pressure for more vigorous action by the UK in relation to the ELC on this issue. As you will see from the enclosed press cuttings both the liong Kong Standard and China Mail of 21 hovember published stories tinged with gloom about the outlook for textiles from 1 January 1974. I understand from David Jordan that these were the result of an unattributable press briefing which he gave on 20 Lovember so that they would have back round both to the sort of speeches that might be made at the Conference and to an expected round of "protests" from the industry who met him on 21 and 22 November mainly to ask him what had happened about the petition. he was also anticipating the reply to the petition although, unfortunately, he had not been able to deliver the reply in FCC telegram No.1187 (of 20 ovember) to hong long because he thought it necessary to get some further clarification before doing 90. He tells me that in his press briefing (to which - due to an oversight - we were not invited as we had been promised we would be) he did his best to put the "good" as well as the "bad" side of the situation, and to make clear that the British Delegation at the EEC had taken a very positive line, and second that the changes already achieved in the Butoirs would give advantages to Hong Kong at least equal to the "damage" likely to be suffered by the initial stage of introducing the EC GJI. As he explained

/to me

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