JLG
HKK 040/24
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
'm3 JUL 1985
DESK ORAL
INDE:
CONFIDENTIAL
29062 - 1
DD 02010OZ PEKING
GRS 2170
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 020100Z BOTH
FM FCO 011400Z JULY 85
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 587 OF 1 JULY
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
MIPT: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: JOINT LIAISON GROUP: HONG KONG'S FUTURE POSITION IN THE GATT, MFA AND CCC, AND HONG KONG AND THE ADB. FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF PAPER ON GATT, MFA AND CCC:
BEGINS
SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP: MEETING 22
25 JULY
HONG KONG'S CONTINUING PARTICIPATION IN THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE (GATT), THE MULTIFIBRE ARRANGEMENT (MFA) AND THE CUSTOMS COOPERATION COUNCIL (CCC)
1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER IS TO EXPLAIN THE ARRANGEMENTS
WHICH THE BRITISH SIDE BELIEVE WOULD SECURE THE BEST POSSIBLE
BASIS FOR HONG KONG'S CONTINUING PARTICIPATION IN:
(I) THE GATT:
(II) THE MFA: AND
(III) THE CCC
UP TO AND AFTER 1997.
THE BRITISH SIDE SUGGEST THAT THESE INTER-RELATED MATTERS BE
CONSIDERED TOGETHER.
HONG KONG AND THE GATT
2. HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE GATT, THROUGH WHICH IT ENJOYS MOST FAVOURED NATION RIGHTS OF ACCESS FOR ITS GOODS HAS
BEEN A KEY ELEMENT IN ITS SUCCESS AS AN EXPORTER. DURING THE SI-BRITISH TALKS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SRREED THAT ARRANGEMENTS WOULD NEED TO BEE TO
ENSURE THAT HONG KONG COULD CONTINUE TO BE EFFECTIVELY REPRESENTED AND ITS VIEWS EFFECTIVELY EXPRESSED WITHIN THE GATT. 3. AS A REFLECTION OF THIS, SECTION VI OF ANNEX I TO THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG MAKES PROVISION FOR THE FUTURE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION
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