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5. The reactions of other countries in the region
friendly to the west would probably be mixed. Most of
them share in the general interest in breaking down
China's past international isolation, and many of them
(eg ASEAN countries) are likely on general political
grounds to be unwilling to give very open expression to
any qualms that they may feel about the consequences of
China's accession for their economic interests (see
para 22 below). Many LDCs will welcome the prospect of
China as a powerful ally in the GATT, though the
enthusiasm of some Asian LDCs may be tempered by
traditional fears of Chinese dominance (and a few might
oppose Chinese accession outright). It will be
important for the West, in formulating its own response
to a formal Chinese application, to consult closely
with the regional countries if damage to Western
relations with them is to be avoided.
British Interests and Hong Kong
6. We share in the general Western interests described
above.
China is a huge and growing market, whose
imports of new technology and equipment for
infrastructure development are likely to increase, and
whose regions are showing increasing autonomy in the
determination of import policy. We might not reap many
commercial rewards for being conspicuously more helpful
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