TNAG-0631-FCO40-779-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-on-Hong-Kong-negotiat-1977 — Page 36

4. WE HAVE PRESSED THE COMMISSION TO GIVE FULL DETAILED

CC: DERATION TO THE LATEST HONG KONG PROPOSALS JUST AS WE HAVE

ALWAYS ADVISED YOU TO GIVE SIMILAR CONSIDERATION TO THE

COMMUNITY'S PROPOSALS. THE PLAIN FACT IS THAT IF THE PRESENT

POSITION REPRESENTS THE LAST WORD ON EITHER SIDE, AND THERE IS

NO CHANCE OF REACHING AGREEMENT, THE RESULTING BREAKDOWN COULD

DAMAGE HONG KONG IN CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT

FOR THE UK ON ITS OWN TO RETRIEVE THE POSITION. THE VIEW AT

OFFICIAL LEVEL HERE, HOWEVER, IS THAT IF THERE IS SOME FURTHER

MOVEMENT FORWARD FROM HONG KONG'S LATEST PACKAGE THIS COULD

WELL BE RECIPROCATED BY SIMILAR MOVEMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY

SIDE.

5. IF YOU STILL BELIEVE A PUBLIC STATEMENT IS ESSENTIAL (YOUR PARAGRAPH 4) THE VIEW HERE IS THAT IT SHOULD BE IN LOW KEY,

POSSIBLY ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:-

QUOTE WE KNOW THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS MOST CONCERNED

THAT THE COMMUNITY AND HONG KONG SHOULD REACH AGREEMENT ON

A NEW BILATERAL TEXTILE AGREEMENT. THERE IS CLEARLY A STRONG

HOPE THAT THE COMMISSION, WHO ARE NEGOTIATING ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY, AND HONG KONG WILL BOTH DO WHAT THEY CAN TO REACH AN AGREEMENT ON THIS IMPORTANT MATTER AFFECTING THE TEXTILE

INDUSTRIES OF ALL THE COUNTRIES CONCERNED. UNQUOTE

.OWEN

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