TNAG-0632-FCO40-780-Effect-of-GATT-Multi-Fibre-Arrangement-on-Hong-Kong-negotiat-1977 — Page 182

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4. THEREFORE, EVEN THOUGH THE COMMISSION WERE TO FORCE US BY A

FURTHER ULTIMATUM TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT OUTSIDE THE TERMS OF THE MFA READ WITH COMTEX W/44, IT WOULD BE ESSENTIAL FOR US (THOUGH OF COURSE WE SHOULD ABIDE BY WHATEVER WE HAD SIGNED) TO MAKE PUBLIC

THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THREATS UNDER WHICH OUR SIGNATURE WAS

OBTAINED.

5. JUST FOR THE RECORD I MUST POINT OUT THAT TTHE SECOND HALF

OF YOUR PARA 7 MISREPRESENTS THE SITUATION. THE TRUE POSITION

WAS SET OUT IN PARAS 3 AND 4 OF MY TEL 1147. THE COMMISSION HAS NOT MOVED FORWARD FROM ITS (FOLLOWING WORD UNDERLINED)

OPENING POSITION, WHICH WAS NOT PUT FULLY ON THE TABLE UNTIL

6 NOVEMBER, ITS ONLY MOVEMENT HAS BEEN BACKWARDS, TOWARDS LOWER

LIMITS. WE ON THE CONTRARY MOVED A LONG WAY TOWARDS THE COMMUNITY

AND COMPLETELY MET ITS ''STABILISATION'' REQUIREMENTS.

6. MILLS AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO BRUSSELS IMMEDIATELY AND WILL ARRIVE ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21.

7. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD SO INFORM THE COMMISSION.

WE DO NOT PROPOSE TO REPLY VIA BURGESS TO TRAN'S INFORMAL

COMMUNICATION.

8. WOULD STEWART PLEASE PASS, A COPY OF THIS TELEGRAM TO THE GOVERNOR

FIRST THING ON MONDAY MORNING.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

EID (E) HKGD

FS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS

PS/MR.JUDD MR.THOMAS MR.FRETWELL

MR.MURRAY

MR.CORTAZZI

[PASSED BY COD

COPIES TO:

MR.HARRIS, CABINET OFFICE. MISS LOWNE, CT DIVN.,DOI.

MR.GRAY

RLANE

CRE1/DOT.

MISS MACFARLANE)

HKGO,,LONDON.

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