55A
Reference.....
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No. 51
RECEIVED IN
REGIST
19 AUG 197
Mr Hart, EID (External - 5SEP1974
6/595/2
THE EEC AND HONG KONG HKKC/548/2 B
1.
Please see the preceding minutes and the attached copy of a communication sent to the President of the European Communities in the name of the European Committee of the International Textile Workers Organisation arguing against the granting of trade concessions to certain South East Asian countries, and Hong Kong in particular.
2. It is not clear what distribution this rather nasty and highly prejudiced circular may have received but I note that it attempts to ape the style and layout of official EEC documents and that the original version was in French. The chances are that it has been reproduced in all the EEC languages and distributed in official EEC and national as well as international trade union circles. I doubt whether it has received any significant distribution beyond this, such as the press and other media in Europe or, if it has, whether it would be likely to attract much attention.
3. My own view is that there would be little point in our taking any special measures to counter these statements in public, the question is therefore whether you feel something ought to be done to neutralise any possible damage which the document may have created within the bodies and organs of the EEC itself. I would personally have thought that EEC officials would be sufficiently well informed regarding Hong Kong to be able to evaluate these slanders for what they are.
NB
8 August 1974
TM
JK Hanna
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department
ра
M. Hanna, HKIOD OR
In my absence
m
." I spoke to Mr Stuart, she greed we stand convider action after receiving UK REP's comments. leave th. Fairweather 419
Write & UKREP Brussels about this. I think that
to
deciding
We should await UKREP's comments before finally what to do. But unless UKREP advise otherwise I should not have thought action part necessary to counter these ablegations constant
on an
GDLE
2/9
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