PRIORITY CYPHER/CAT A
Fii HONG KONG 1786457
[NEUTRAL]
CONFIDENTIAL GMM .51
HICK6/8
(103)
FA
20/11.
CONFIDENTIAL
1972
TO PRIORITY FCO TELNO 1675 OF 17 NOVEMBER INFO UKMIS GENEVA
UKDEL EC BRUSSELS BRUSSELS (FOR DODGE) HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON (FCO PLEASE PASS).
M.1.P.T.
LAST
REF.
162
RENT
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF DRAFT LETTER.
BEGINS
QUOTE ON 1 JANUARY 1973 WHEN THE UNITED KINGDOM ACCEDES TO THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, THE U.K. DELEGATION IN THE GATT WILL CONFORM TO THE CURRENT PRACTICE WHEREBY A COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE NORMALLY SPEAKS FOR ALL MEMBER STATES, BUT IT IS NOT INTENDED THAT THIS SHOULD ALTER THE POSITION IN REGARD TO HONG KONG.
2. THE JURIDICAL POSITION OF HONG KONG IN THE GATT IS NOT CHANGED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, THE UNITED KINGDOM IS THE CONTRACTING PARTY WHICH HAS ACCEDED TO THE GATT ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG, AND MUST CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG'S GATT RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS.
3. GIVEN HONG KONG'S IMPORTANCE IN INTERANTIONAL TRADE, I THINK YOU MAY WISH ME TO CONFIRM THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM'S ARRANGEMENTS
FOR THE PRESENTATION OF HONG KONG'S POSITION IN DISCUSSIONS
IN THE GATT WILL NOT BE ALTERED IN ANY WAY FROM 1 JANUARY 1973. A MEMBER OF MY DELEGATION, WHO WILL OF COURSE SIT WITH THE REST OF HIS COLLEAGUES, WILL CONTINUE TO SPEAK FOR HONG KONG, PREFACING ANY INTERVENTION WITH AN INDICATION THAT HE IS MAKING IT ON
BEHALF OF HONG KONG.
CONFIDENTIAL