CONFIDENTIAL
Flag
HKK 613
1973
HKK6/3
1973
Flag B
Ras
Flag 13
HKKG 197
196
inappropriate.
We also judged that it would be better for any
announcement to be made by the Prime Minister during his visit to
Hong Kong as a means of pre-empting criticism. The Prime Minister's
no.
visit has now been postponed and we have a telegram from Hong Kong
about de GSP
4.
1478 proposing a public announcement as soon as possible.
enth
In the light of this telegram Mr Butler wrote to Mr Jordan
on 21 December saying that, while he agreed that it was in our general
interest to try to get the Community's GSP for 1975 settled several
months before the end of the year, he thought that the chances of a
satisfactory outcome would be much greater if the proposal for early
discussions came from the Commission rather than from us. He also
warned Mr Jordan that even if the GSP Review were to start soon, there
proposal would not be much chance of early decisions. This makes substantial
sense, but does not meet the Hong Kong Government's wish for
publishable evidence that HMG in particular have been pressed into new
action to help Hong Kong.
5.
It is clear from the memoranda by the Hong Kong industry
that they are indeed disturbed about the situation. But I do not
think that we should, in the immediate aftermath of the Mass Transit
decision, take further special steps to show what the UK are doing to
put this right; particularly since, as Mr Butler says in his letter,
this would in practice reduce the chances of action by the Commission,
which is in the interest both of us and of Hong Kong. Moreover,
although it would be useful for Hong Kong Government officials to have
clear evidence of HMG's help, I am not convinced that they have
themselves made the best of what we have already done. Mr Jordan
himself fairly presented Mr Davies's statement in Brussels to Hong Kong
180
CONFIDENTIAL
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