TNAG-1150-FCO40-1430-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-European-Community-1982 — Page 115

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CONFIDENTIAL

Enter

• Mr

Mr. Edgar ti oubmit aft

British Trade Commission in Hong Kong

Win 200r Gammon FIOUSO

ELPOJUM=Road Hong Ko

reply

Mail Address GPO Box No 528 Hong Kong

281,

Telex HX 73031 Cable Address Uktrade Hong Kong Telephone 5-230176

9th Floor Bank of America Tower 12 Harcourt Road Hong Kong

R D Clift Esq

Hong Kong & General Department

FCO

Your reference HKK 020/7

Our reference

ECO 598/2

022/2 Date 21 January 1982'

fear dick.

HIZIZ 02017

14

1981

NG

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND HONG KONG

3/3

Pls 4/3.

•MICK Ozoly

(13)

1981

Would you please refer to correspondence ending with my, letter of 20 November in response to your teleletter HKK 020/7 of 9 November.

2. I am glad to say that we reached the end of our period of Presidency without me having to take any formal position on my role in relation to Community business in Hong Kong. My duties were confined to the distribution of two press releases from the General Secretariat of the EC Council in Brussels for which I was duly thanked by most of my consular colleagues.

3.

As you

See 13

5

However I always suspected that my Belgian colleague, M Fellens, was anxious to play a more forward role; We continually asked me informally why Britain did not organise regular Community get- togethers. On his country's assumption of the Presidency he obviously decided to seek advice from his Foreign Office. will see from the enclosed copy of his letter of January 12, he has been told that Hong Kong is specifically mentioned as an example of a consulate general required to send reports to Brussels because it is physically separated from the metropolitan territory. No account is taken of its constitutional relationship with a member of the Community.

4.

I note from para 5 of your teleletter under reference that you hoped that the majority of my colleagues would accept that joint activities were not appropriate given Hong Kong's dependant political status. I fear that my Belgian colleague appears determined to press the issue. I enclose a copy of my interim reply.

You

ans even

Such.

DM

M March

Senior Trade Commissioner

9

4

10

cc: Political Adviser, HKG

Every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, but no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions in that information and no responsibility is accepted in regard to the standing of any firms, companies or individuals mentioned.

CONFIDENTIAL