CONFIDENTIAL #B
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10
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14.
Membership of the CCC is open to any
separate customs territory which is proposed
by a contracting party having responsibility for
the normal conduct of its doplomatic relations,
which is autonomous in the conduct of its
external commercial relations and whose admission
as a separate member is approved by the Council.
Accordingly, Hong Kong's position in CCC is
analogous to that in GATT, except that even
with a declaration by HMG that Hong Kong
possessed full autonomy in the conduct of its
external commercial relations, our separate
membership would still need to be approved by
Furthermore, as China is
the Council.
already a member of CCC and this Council is,
at present, entirely technical in its discussions,
Hong Kong's interests here are less critical
than in GATT. These points notwithstanding,
it. is felt that the same considerations as
regards GATT apply to CCC, and that HMG should
be asked to make a parallel declaration under
the convention establishing the CCC and sponsor
Hong Kong's membership therein at the same
time it makes the declaration under
Article XXVI 5(c) of the GATT. The same
procedural steps as for GATT (para. 11) would
also seem appropriate for CCC.
IN BERTSOA PE
IM