GRS 240
CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS GENEVA
TO DESKBY 13203OZ FCO
TELNO 120
OF 131842Z MARCH 1986
AND TO DESKBY 14010OZ HONG KONG
INFO DESKBY 14080OZ ATHENS
INFO DESKBY 140800Z BONN
INFO DESKBY 1408COZ BRUSSELS
INFO DESKBY 14080OZ COPENHAGEN
INFO DESKBY 14083OZ DUBLIN
INFO DESKBY 14080OZ THE HAGUE
INFO DESKBY 14080OZ LISBON
INFO DESKBY 14080OZ LUXEMBOURG
INFO DESKBY 14080OZ MADRID
INFO DESKBY 14080OZ PARIS
INFO DESKBY 14080OZ ROME
ник owor
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 1 4 MAR 1986.
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGIS (Y Actaker
INFO DESKBY 14080OZ UKREP BRUSSELS
INFO DESKBY 14130OZ WASHINGTON
INFO DESKBY 14130OZ OTTAWA
INFO DESKBY 14223OZ CANBERRA
INFO DESKBY 14010OZ PEKING
77
74075
96
HONG KONG TELNOS 773, 774 AND 777: HONG KONG AND GATT: BRIEFING OF CONTRACTING PARTIES (CPS)
1. WE AGREED WITH THE PROPOSAL FOR PRELIMINARY LOBBYING OF COPY ADDRESSEES AS PROPOSED. YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER ADDING TOKYO AND
WELLINGTON TO THIS LIST.
2. WE ALSO AGREE THE PROPOSED INSTRUCTIONS IN SECOND TUR BUT SUGGEST THE ADDITION OF THE FOLLOWING DEFENSIVE POINTS:
(A) QUESTION: WILL THIS SET A PRECEDENT FOR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS EG BRITISH COLOMBIA TO SEEK SEPARATE CP STATUS ?
ANSWER: NOT UNLESS THE FEDERAL AUTHORITY CONCEDES FULL AUTONOMY IN THE CONDUCT OF THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT'S EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL
RELATIONS.
(B) QUESTION: WHY IS HONG KONG ITSELF NOT MAKING A DECLARATION TO
THE GATT ?
ANSWER: THIS IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER ARTICLE XXVI (5)(C). THE DECLARATIONS WILL BE MADE BY THE UK AND THE PRC AS THE SOVEREIGN POWERS BEFORE AND AFTER 1997 RESPECTIVELY. THE UK DECLARATION MAKES IT CLEAR THAT IT IS BEING MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WISHES OF HONG
KONG.
3. WHEN ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SECOND PHASE OF LOBBYING YOU MAY WISH TO SUGGEST THAT IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES IT MAY BE POLITIC FOR THE PRC (AND IN OTHER CASES THE UK) TO MAKE THE FIRST (OR PERHAPS THE ONLY) APPROACH TO HOST GOVERNMENTS.
CONFIDENTIAL
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