GENERAL AGREEMENT ON
TARIFFS AND TRADE
L/5987
24 April 1986
Limited Distribution
Original: English
ADMISSION OF HONG KONG AS A CONTRACTING PARTY
Communication from the People's Republic of China
The following communication was received by the Secretariat on 23 April 1986.
86-0631
I am instructed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, with reference to the communication which the United Kingdom Mission in Geneva addressed to Your Excellency today, to notify Your Excellency of the Declaration of the People's Republic of China as follows:
In accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the question of Hong Kong, signed in Beijing on 19 December 1984, the People's Republic of China has decided to resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong with effect from 1 July 1997. Hong Kong will, with effect from that date, become a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China which will have international responsibility for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In accordance with. paragraph 3 of the Joint Declaration and the relevant provisions of Annex I to that Declaration, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will retain the status of a free port and A separate customs territory, will maintain the capitalist economic and trade systems previously practised in Hong Kong, will decide its economic trade policies on its own and may on its own, using the name of "Hong Kong, China" maintain and develop relations and conclude and implement agreements with States, regions and relevant international organizations in the economic, trade and
of
other fields. Section VI of Annex I to the Joint Declaration further provides in detail that the Hong Kong Special Administra- tive Region may participate in relevant international organizations and international trade agreements (including preferential trade arrangements), such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and arrangements regarding international trade in textiles. Accordingly, the Government
the People's Republic of China declares that, with effect from 1 July 1997, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will meet the requirements for 3 customs territory to be deemed to be a contracting party as prescribed in GATT Article XXVI(5)(c), and therefore may, using the name of "Hong Kong, China", continue to be deemed to be a contracting party to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.