TNAG-0462-FCO40-527-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-EEC-Generalised-Scheme-of-Prefer-1974 — Page 120

GR 300

PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

COIDENTIAL

FRAME FILES

MCO 101820Z

REGISTRY No. 51

LAST

HKK 6/3 1973

CONFIDENTIAL VED H

REF.

ab

TEXT

RFF

૨]

14 JAN1974

HKK 6/598/1

HK

TOP COPY

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO. 30 OF 0 JANUARY 4 INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE). YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 1478: EEC/GSP

1996 HKK 63 1973

الهب

neur ro BTC

fo

PA

144

1. BUTLER WROTE TO JORDAN ON 21 DECEMBER AGREEING THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO GET THE COMMUNITY'S GSTP FOR 1975 SETTLED, IF AT ALL

POSSIBLE, SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THE END OF 1974. HE ACCEPTED THAT

THIS COULD MAKE IT EASIER TO PRESENT WHAT WE ARE DOING TO HELP

HONG KONG. HE SUGGESTED, HOWEVER, THAT THE BEST CHANCE OF GETTING

EARLY ACTION AGREED BY THE COMMUNITY WAS TO ENCOURAGE THE

COMMISSION ITSELF TO PROPOSE THIS TO THE MEMBER STATES. THIS MEANS THAT, WHILE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT KNOWN PRIVATELY

IN HONG KONG THAT WE HAD MOVED THE COMMISSION TO EARLY ACTION,

WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE PUBLICLY TO CLAIM CREDIT FOR ANY COMMISSION

INITIATIVE, THOUGH OF COURSE WE WOULD WELCOME IT WARMLY ONCE MADE.

2. WE ACCEPT THAT THIS WOULD MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO

HOLD THE LINE IN HONG KONG THAT HMG ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO ELIMINATE .

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BUT, AS SEEN FROM HERE WHAT MATTERS IS RESULTS, FIRST IN HOLDING EARLY

DISCUSSIONS, AND SECOND IN SEEKING AGREEMENT TO ELIMINATE

DISCRIMINATION.

3. NEVERTHE LESS IT IS CLEAR FROM THE STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

OF THE TEXTILES ADVISORY BOARD (YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 441 SAVING)

AND OTHER DOCUMENTS HANDED OVER TO STUART BY JORDAN, THAT THE

INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG HAVE LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE BASIC

REALITIES OF THE SITUATION. WE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE

FOR YOU TO PUT THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON THE BASIS OF THE EXISTING

EVIDENCE, OF HMG'S WILLINGNESS TO HELP HONG KONG. PERHAPS IT WOULD

BE POSSIBLE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF UMELCO AND OF THE INDUSTRY

TO BE BROUGHT TO ACCEPT THE TRUE FACTS ON THE BASIS OF A CONFIDENTIAL

BRIEFING."

DOUGLAS-HOME

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC FILES DISTRIBUTION

PEAN

HKIOD

EID

ADDITIONAL DISTRIBUTION

PS/MR BLAKER

SIR D WATSON

MB YOUDE

WILFORD

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CONFIDENT IAL

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE

6 GRAFTON ST, W1.

!

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