789
TOP COPY
GRS 400 CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 17120OZ FCO
TELNO 566
OF 170708Z APRIL 86
Confidential
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA
HKK |22|!
RECEIVEL
JISTRY
1 8 APR 1986
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
YOUR TELNOS 301 AND 305, HONG KONG TELNOS 1120 AND 1121 AND UKMIS
GENEVA TELNO 179: HONG KONG AND GATT: PUBLICITY
REGISTRY Action Taken
A818
1. WE AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE IDEA OF A PRESS RELEASE WOULD NEED TO
BE PUT FIRST TO THE CHINESE (PARAGRAPH 2(B) OF YOUR FIRST TUR). WE
THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALSO INFORM THE CHINESE AS A COURTESY OF HONG
KONG'S INTENTION TO MAKE A SEPARATE LEGCO STATEMENT AND TO RELEASE
THE TEXTS OF THE DECLARATHONS TO THE PRESS. SO FAR AS THE
DECLARATION TEXTS ARE CONCERNED, WE WOULD EXPECT THE CHINESE TO
INSIST THAT THESE REMAIN CONFIDENTHAL UNTIL THEY HAD BEEN CIRCULATED
TO GATT CPS (AND WE NOTE THAT UKMIS GENEVA WOULD SEE PROBLEMS WITH
RELEASE BEFORE THE TEXT'S GATT CIRCULATION). WE ALSO THINK IT
POSSIBLE, GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT, THAT THE CHINESE
WOULD EXPECT SIMILAR PRESS RELEASES TO BE ISSUED IN BOTH THE UK AND
HONG KONG. THEY COULD HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE DETAILS BEING
RELEASED TO THE PRESS BY THE BRITISH SIDE IN HONG KONG ONLY.
2. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT LEGCO STATEMENT:
(A) PARAGRAPH 2, SECOND SENTENCE: WE AGREE WITH UKMIS GENEVA,
(B) PARAGRAPH 3, FIRST SENTENCE: THE CHINESE DECLARATION (HONG KONG TELNO 751) DOES NOT REFER TO THE SAR MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY. WE THEREFORE SUGGEST THAT ''SEPARATE' BE DELETED,
(C) PARAGRAPH 4, FIRST SENTENCE: WE SUGGEST THAT THIS LANGUAGE BE RECAST ALONG THE FOLLOWING LINES TO MIRROR MORE CLOSELY THAT 'IN PARAGRAPH 4(A) OF ANNEX
**WITH THESE DECLARATIONS THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS HAVE TAKEN THE NECESSARY CONCRETE STEPS ENVISAGED IN PARAGRAPH 4(A) OF ANNEX TO THE JOINT DECLARATION TO ENSURE THE MAINTENANCE OF THE HONG KONG SAR'S PARTICIPATION IN THE GATT AND THE MFA''.
Confidential
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