GRS 190
CONFIDENTIAL
FM UKMIS GENEVA
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 330
CONFIDENTIAL
-40
MICK 122/
COPY
OF 181059Z JUNE 1986
#NFO PRIORITY/HONG KONG, NEW DELHI, TOKYO
368
OUR TELNO 278: HONG KONG AND GATT: GATT COUNCIL 17 JUNE
1.
UNDER **ANY OTHER BUSINESS'' AT YESTERDAY'S GATT COUNCIL MEETHING
MINDA MADE A FURTHER STATEMENT TO FOLLOW THAT REPORTED IN OUR TUR.
2. RANDHAWA (INDIA) SAND THAT WHILE HIS AUTHORITIES RECOGNISED HONG
KONG'S CURRENT STATUS AS A CONTRACTING PARTY TO GATT THEY HAD
DIFFICULTY IN ACCEPTING THE POSITION POST-1997 ON THE BASIS OF
CHINA'S DECLARATHON TO THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF GATT. THIS WAS
BECAUSE CHINA WAS NOT A CP., MOREOVER THE EXACT STATUS OF HONG KONG WHEN THE PRC RESUMES SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997 HS NOT CLEAR. THEY
THEREFORE WISHED TO RESERVE THEIR GATT RIGHTS WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JULY 1997. (FULL TEXT OF STATEMENT MUFAXED TO HONG KONG DEPARTMENT).
3.
NOBODY ELSE SPOKE AND THE CHAIRMAN ANNOUNCED THAT THE COUNCIL
**TOOK NOTE' OF #NDIA'S STATEMENT.
COMMENT
4. #INDIA'S STATEMENT CAME AS A SURPRISE. THEY HAD NOT #NFORMED THE
GATT SECRETARIAT OF THEIR INTENTIONS. WHILST THERE WAS NO NEED FOR
US TO RESPOND THE CHINESE HAD EVERY REASON TO SHINCE THE STATEMENT CALLED INTO QUESTION THEIR FUTURE INTENTMONS. THE FACT THAT THEY CHOSE TO REMAIN SILENT PROBABLY REFLECTS THE FACT THAT THEY WERE
TAKEN ABACK, BUT THEY MAY WELL REVERT TO THIS AT THE NEXT, OR A
FUTURE MEETHING.
SANKEY
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED
LIMITEND
HD/HKD
HD/FED
RESEARCH D (FE)
DEP/HD PUSD PS/MR RENTON MR WILSON
COPIES TO:
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS
CONFIDENTIAL