GRS 700
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEK-ING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 490
OF 040851Z APRIL 86
122
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA
719
MY TELNO.442 : HONG KONG AND GATT :
BRIEFING OF CONTRACTING PARTIES.
HRR 18211
18211
SECEVEL
- 7 APR 1986
Tazen
1AB714.
1. THOMSON CALLED THIS MORNING ON WANG JIAJI AT WANG'S REQUEST. WANG SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD MADE A CAREFUL AND DETAILED
STUDY OF OUR BRIEFING PROPOSALS HANDED OVER BY HUM ON 18 MARCH.
HE THEN MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS
(A) TO PREVENT A CHALLENGE FROM CERTAIN CONTRACTING PARTIES (CPS)
TO HONG KONG BEING DEEMED TO BE A CP, HT WAS NECESSARY TO OFFER EXPLANATION TO CP'S BEFORE APPROACHING THE GATT DIRECTOR GENERAL.
THE CHINESE UNDERSTOOD THAT SUCH A PROCESS OF EXPLANATION WOULD BE
TO ENABLE CP'S TO UNDERSTAND THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG TO BE
MADE BY THE TWO SHDES: SUCH EXPLANATION WOULD NOT AMOUNT TO CONSULTATION AND WOULD NOT THEREFORE REQUIRE THE CONSENT OR APPROVAL OF OTHER CP'S.
THE CHINESE SIDE AGREED THAT BOTH SIDES SHOULD TAKE ACTION IN
PARALLEL OVER SUCH EXPLANATIONS :
(b) AS THE UK CURRENTLY REPRESENTED HONG KONG IN GATT, THE EXPLANATORY WORK SHOULD BE DONE MAINLY BY THE BRITISH SIDE WITH APPROPRIATE COOPERATION FROM THE CHINESE SIDE. THE CHINESE HAD NO
OBJECTION TO OR DIFFERING VIEWS ON OUR LIST OF COUNTRIES TO BE APPROACHED. GOVERNMENTS OF THOSE COUNTRIES IN THE FIRST CATEGORY (GENERALLY POSITIVE) WOULD BE APPROACHED BY THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR LOCALLY. THOSE IN THE SECOND CATEGORY (MORE DIFFICULT TARGETS)
WOULD BE APPROACHED BY THE MFA THROUGH AMBASSADORS IN PEKING. IN
PARALLEL, THE CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE IN GENEVA WOULD APPROACH THE
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COUNTRIES IN ALL THREE CATEGORIES (IE
INCLUDING AMBASSADOR HILL OF JAMAICA AND AMBASSADOR JARAMILLO OF
COLOMBIA). THEY WOULD APPROACH THE EC THROUGH THE COMMISSION AND
THE EC REPRESENTATIVE IN GENEVA.
(1) IN GENERAL, THE CHINESE SIDE SUGGESTED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE
SHOULD APPROACH CP'S ONE OR TWO DAYS BEFORE THE APPROACH BY THE
CHINESE. BRITISH AND CHINESE AMBASSADORS IN THIRD COUNTRIES
COULD LIAISE DIRECTLY TO COORDINATE ACTION.
(b) THE CHINESE AGREED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE ONLY SHOULD TAKE
ACTION WITH COUNTRIES WHICH DID NOT HAVE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND THAT CHINA ONLY SHOULD TAKE ACTION WITH ARGENTINA.
(C) (1) SPEAKING NOTE. THE WORDING OF THE SPEAKING NOTE TO BE USED BY THE TWO SIDES NEED NOT BE IDENTICAL. THE CHINESE HAD NO OBJECTION TO OUR PROPOSED SPEAKING NOTE.
SEPARATE SPEAKING NOTE FOR THEIR OWN USE
THEY HAD PREPARED A
(TEXT IN MIFT CHINESE
CONFIDENTIAL
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