TNAG-0460-FCO40-525-Discussions-on-textiles-and-commercial-subjects-between-offi-1974 — Page 3

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GRAPHIC ADDRESS:--

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 51

10 JAN 1974

HKK 6/548/1

**CANDIHONG" HONG KONG

OUR REF.:

CR. 4461/6811

YOUR REF.:

Dear Mr. Royle,

لام

LAST

REF.

NEXT

REF

W/10 HKK6/5*8/18 1973.

COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT,

FIRE BRIGADE BUILDING,

HONG KONG.

3rd January

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HK Gourollige (ne. Sellers) I was very glad to have the opportunity of calling on you to discuss commercial relations issues affecting Hong Kong. I have now received a copy of the record of the dis- cussion.

In paragraph 6, however, my references to the multi- lateral GATT Textiles negotiations then going on in Geneva and to subsequent bilateral negotiations between the Community and Hong Kong seem to have been telescoped into one sentence.

I am sorry if I failed to make it clear that it was in connection with the bilateral negotiations that we should have to be more difficult than we had been in our negotiations with the Community of Six which led to our bilateral agreement on cotton textiles. During these negotiations we received various assurances as regards the possibilities of improvement in the administration of the agreement during its currency. In practice, the side-letters to this agreement have been. treated by the Community as being as immutable as the agree- ment itself and the assurances have come to nothing. We shall therefore be unwilling to accept such assurances in any future negotiations and shall seek to have things spelt out more clearly in the agreement itself.

So far as the GATT negotiations were concerned we had no direct contact with the Commission nor knowledge of the Community position but we were in general agreement with the DTI as to how we should like to see the negotiations develop.

The eventual outcome when the negotiations at last concluded just before Christmas was, I think, generally satis- factory and I hope that the FCO and the DTI would agree with us that it was advantageous to both of us that Hong Kong was able to speak separately in these negotiations.

With best wishes for the New Year.

ھے

10!!!

Yours sincerely,

Anthony Royle, Esq., M.P.,

Davis Jadan

(D.H. Jordan)

Director of Commerce and Industry

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street,

London, SW1A 2AH, England.

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