(a)
and
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for HMG to make a declaration stating that Hong Kong possesses
full autonomy in the conduct of its external commercial
relations
(b) for Hong Kong to make a declaration stating that it wishes
become a Contracting Party.
a
to
To ensure that there are по doubts amongst other Contracting Parties
about the status of Hong Kong, it would be helpful if the Chinese
would mak e
statement referring to the British and Hong Kong
statements and to the Joint Declaration and confirming that on 1
July 1997, when Hong Kong becomes an SAR, it will continue to
to have
the same responsibilities for its external commercial relations.
5.
in
approach would either be (a) to
1997 when China, as metropolitan
or respect of Hong Kong,
(b) for
in the meantime.
The alternatives to this
maintain the status quo until
would accept power,
in the GATT
Hon- Kong to accede to the GATT on terms to be agreed with the
Contracting Parties
accordance with GATT Article XXXIII. The
difficulty with the first of these options is that it could not be exercised until 1997 and uncertainty would remain
China is not yet a member of the GATT and it is impossible to say
for sure that she will have become one by then. Furthermore, it is
preferable for obvious reasons that Hong Kong should enjoy an
independent status in the GATT rather than participate under a Chinese umbrella. The difficulty with the second option is that
to Hong agreement
Kong' s accession under Article XXXI I I would
require negotiation of new terms o f
entry and
and two-thirds majority
support of the Contracting Parties, which might not be easy to secure. The procedure proposed in paragraph 5 above is preferable
to these two options because:
(a)
it would be made independently of the question of China's
membership in the GATT;
(b)
(c)
a
time mutually acceptable
it would avoid having to involve Hong Kong in negotiating entry
terms with the Contracting Parties; and
it would enable Hong Kong to acquire separate GATT status
the to China,
and Hona Kong
through declarations by the United Kingdom and Hong Kong.
at
UK
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