GRS 500
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1147
ir?
OF 180645Z APRIL 86
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA
TOP COPY
(196)
HRK120/1
RECE
GISTRY
1 $ APR 1986
ASTRY
UKMIS GENEVA PLEASE PASS COPY TO CARTLAND
(170)
INDEX
UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 175, 176 TO YOU AND YOUR TELNO 674 : HONG KONG AND GATT
168
WE ARE CONTENT WITH THE MODALITIES AND TIMING PROPOSED IN THE
UKMIS TURS.
2. WE FULLY APPRECIATE THE POINTS IN PARA. 2 OF YOUR TUR. WE ARE
SORRY IF THE RATIONALE FOR THE PROPOSALS IN OUR TELNO 1069 WAS NOT CLEAR.
3. AS REGARDS A OF YOUR TUR THE OBJECT OF THE PRESENT EXERCISE IS
TO ACHIEVE A GATT STATUS FOR HONG KONG WHICH WILL SURVIVE 1997.
TO US THIS CARRIES THE CLEAR IMPLICATION THAT HONG KONG'S
DELEGATION MUST BE SEPARATE FROM UKMIS AND FROM THE CHINESE
DELEGATION AFTER 1997. IF WE DO NOT CREATE A SEPARATE HONG KONG
MISSION AS A NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF THE ARTICLE XXVI (5)(C) DECLARATION, BUT LEAVE IT TILL NEARER 1997, THE CHINESE COULD
REASONABLY CONCLUDE THAT THE OBJECT OF SUCH A MOVE AT THAT TIME
WOULD BE TO PREVENT THE HONG KONG OFFICE BECOMING A PART OF THEIR
MISSION ON 1 JULY 1997. FURTHERMORE, WE FEAR THAT OUR INTENTIONS
WOULD BE MISUNDERSTOOD BY OTHER GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES IF THERE
WAS NO VISIBLE CHANGE AFTER THE DECLARATION. PARA. 2(1) OF UKMIS
TELNO 172 INDICATES CP SENSITIVITY, AND, OF COURSE, IF THE CHINESE
INTENDED TO CLAW BACK ON HONG KONG AUTONOMY AFTER 1997, THE EXISTENCE OF A SEPARATE HONG KONG MISSION WOULD MAKE SUCH ACTION
HIGHLY VISIBLE AND MIGHT EVEN DETER THEM FROM DOING SO.
་
4. AS REGARDS C OF YOUR TUR, WE ACCEPT THE PROPOSAL IN PARA 2 OF
UKMIS TELNO. 175. WE HAVE A COPY OF THE EXCHANGE OF LETTERS
BETWEEN SWITZERLAND AND THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF GATT REFERRED TO
IN PARA 1 OF UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 424 OF NOVEMBER 1935 TO YOU. THE
EXCHANGE APPLIES TO GATT ''BY ANALOGY THE AGREEMENT ON PRIVILEGES
AND IMMUNITIES OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONCLUDED BETWEEN THE SWISS
FEDERAL COUNCIL AND THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS ON
19 APRIL 1946''. WE CONCLUDE FROM THIS THAT HONG KONG REPRESENTATIVES WORKING IN A SEPARATE HONG KONG OFFICE IN GENEVA OUGHT TO ENJOY THE SAME PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES AS THEY DO NOW
AS PART OF UKMIS.
CONFIDENTIAL
15
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