iii.
GATT Secretariat, and possibly certain
of Hong Kong's trading partners as well.
It will be possible for Hong Kong to
become a separate contracting party to
the GATT by means of Article XXVI,5(c),
which reads:
"If any of the Customs territories, in
respect of which a contracting party has
accepted this Agreement, possesses or
acquires full autonomy in the conduct
of its external' commercial relations
and of the matters provided for in this
!
agreement, such territory shall, upon
i
sponsorship through a declaration by
the responsible contracting party
establishing the above mentioned
ioned fact,
be de mod to be a contracting party".
Whilst this Article has been used mainly to
1
enable former dependent' territories, to
become separate contracting parties on
attaining independence, there is a precedent
J
Rhodesia for such a declaration to be
declarat
9.
made concerning a territory which remains
politically dependent.
There are difficulties about all the above courses
open to Hong Kong. If course (i) or (ii) is followed after Britain joins EEC, it will become impossible in practice for Hong Kong's rights to be exercised vis-a-vis the enlarged community with regard to matters which are harmonised
community practice.
}
It will certainly be more difficult for
6.