1
JA2ANB
HKK 1022/1
2 5 APR 1986
Y
Released 2400002 in Hk.
1:
en
AB294
HONG KONG AND GATT: PRESS RELEASE
раздник pa
1.
On 23 April all contracting parties of the GATT were
notified by the GATT Secretariat that, following a
declaration by the United Kingdom, Hong Kong is now deemed
to be a GATT contracting party under Article XXVI (5)(c) of
the GATT.
2.
In the UK declaration, HMG formally informed the Director General of the GATT that Hong Kong possesses full
autonomy in the conduct of its external commercial
relations and of the other matters provided for in the
GATT. At the same time, the Government of the PRC made a
parallel declaration about the status of the Hong Kong SAR
after 1 July 1997. Hong Kong will henceforth
henceforth assume the
rights and obligations of a Contracting Party to the GATT
in its own right.
3.
With these declarations the British and Chinese
Governments have taken the necessary concrete steps
envisaged in paragraph 4(a) of Annex II to the Joint
Declaration to ensure the maintenance of the Hong Kong
SAR's participation in the GATT and the MFA.
4.
'This is a most practical way of ensuring Hong
Kong's and the future SAR's continuing stability and
prosperity.' Said Mr Eric Ho, Secretary for Trade and
Industry.
5.
'As Hong Kong has for some years been playing an
autonomous role in the GATT and the MFA from within the
British delegation there
substance in (Hong Kong's)
will be little variation of
future role on being deemed to
the GATT. One change is that
be
a Contracting Party to
Hong Kong representatives will now speak as a separate
Contracting Party, rather than as 'the United Kingdom
speaking for Hong Kong'.
With this new status we shall,
of
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