TNAG-1402-FCO40-1874-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 190

CODE 18-77

Purse Damison

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference..

Precherecki) urgently for the 1971/2 files

done

sen · 12.00.

Mr Galsworthy

worthy,

HKD

For ther Munte to Mr. Gon 21/6

Yes please find fo

tick old 24.

RACER

The dûtume m

16.

1016 HKK 040/27.

1 0 JUN 1985

1

of

HONG KONG: FORMAL DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT EXTERNAT COMMERCIAL RELATIONS

You will remember that the 1969 files on the conduct of Hong Kong's external commercial relations closed at the point where officials were about to submit a proposed text to

1.

Ministers.

2. I have now looked through the 1970 files and have called for subsequent ones (1971/2). During 1970, correspondence between the FCO and other Government departments about refinements to the proposed text consideration. This was whether authority to Hong Kong should be textiles only.

3.

was overtaken by another formal delegation of confined to non-cotton

IT

By October 1970 FCO officials were arguing in favour of a mcuh wider delegation to Hong Kong in order to avoid serious trouble" there. The Board of Trade (BOT) opposed wider delegation, mainly on the grounds that Hong Kong might rush into negotiations with other countries without the BOT having had the opportunity to decide whether they could agree with Hong Kong's proposed policies.

-

The 1970 files closed on

19 October with the unresolved. I shall keep on digging!

4.

is sue

6 June 1985

tics

J Se Priest (Mrs) Hong Kong Department

CONFIDENTIAL