CONFIDENTIAL
DD 220100Z HONG KONG
GRS 1531
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 220100Z
FM FCO 211630Z JUNE 85
PA
HKK 24878/34
RECC
INUSA
. 24 JUN 1985
LOISTRY
6.4 Taken
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TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, UKREP BRUSSELS
TELEGRAM NUMBER 886 OF 21 JUNE
AND TO IMMEDIATE UKMIS GENEVA, UKREP BRUSSELS
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, BRUSSELS (FOR JONES), WASHINGTON
MIPT: JOINT LIAISON GROUP: HONG KONG'S FUTURE POSITION IN GATT, M
AND CCC
1.
FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE REVISED PAPER.
BEGINS
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:
(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
SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES AGREED THAT ARRANGEMENTS WOULD NEED TO BE MADE 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
(SAR) TO BE A SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY. IT ALSO PROVIDES FOR
THE SAR TO PARTICIPATE IN RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS (INCLUDING PREFERENTIAL TRADE
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