TNAG-0392-FCO40-438-Discussions-on-textiles-and-commercial-subjects-between-offi-1973 — Page 9

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GRS 220

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT A

FM HONGKONG 190850Z

CONFIDENTIAL

FRAME/

RECEIVED IN

CONFIDENTIAL No. 51

Eule

27 DEC1973

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73

TO PRIORITY F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 1478 OF 19 DECEMBER /1 NF PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE) HONGAID (FCO PASS HONGAID.

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LAST

REF.

NEXT

REF

/W/10.

JORDAN HAS REPORTED THAT WHEN HE SAW MR. ROYLE ON 10TH DECEMBER HE SUGGESTED THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT BE MADE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THAT YOU WOULD PROPOSE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THE 1974 REVIEW OF ITS GPS BE STARTED EARLY IN THE YEAR WITH A VIEW TO REACHING DECISIONS FOR 1975 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE NOW CONSIDERING THIS SUGGESTION.

2. IF, AS WE UNDERSTAND IS THE CASE, YOU CONSIDER THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF OBTAINING THE REMOVAL OF THE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HK BEFORE 1975, THIS SUGGESTION WOULD AT LEAST PROVIDE FURTHER ASSURANCE HERE OF YOUR CONCERN FOR HK'S INTERESTS AND WOULD PUBLICLY SHOW THAT YOU RECOGNISE THE FORCE OF THE

20/1

* ARGUMENT ABOUT THE DIVERSION OF TRADE EXTENDING INTO 1975 IF DEC-

ISIONS ARE NOT TAKEN BEFORE THE END OF 1974 (SEE THE STATEMENT BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE TEXTILES BOARD THAT JORDAN

HANDED TO STUART).

3. EVEN IF YOU WERE UNABLE TO PERSUADE YOUR COMMUNIT PARTNERS TO START THE REVIEW EARLIER, THERE WOULD BE A POLITICAL DIVIDEND HERE FROM MAKING THE PROPOSAL. THIS WOULD OF COURSE NOT ACCRUE TO YOU BUT TO THE COMMISSION IF THEY WERE PRIVATELY PERSUADED TO PUT THE PROPOSAL FORWARD THEMSELVES,

4. WE THINK THAT THE PROPOSAL WOULD NOT BE UNWELCOME TO THE COMMISSION BECAUSE NEXT YEAR'S REVIEW IS LIKELY TO BE A LONG-DRAWN-OUT AFFAIR IN ANY CASE.

15.

THE PROPOSAL

CONFIDENTIAL

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