35
385
TOP COPY
GRS 350
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1698 ·
OF 03094OZ JUNE 86
Confidential
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, TOKYO, WASHINGTON, UKMIS GENEVA
HKK 1221! RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
10 JUN 1986
UKMIS GENEVA PLEASE PASS COPY TO CARTLAND
INDEX
OUR TELNO 1633: HONG KONG AND GATT: JAPANESE, POSITION
MATSUURA, JAPANESE CONSUL GENERAL, CALLED ON ERIC HO ON HIS
RETURN FROM TOKYO YESTERDAY.
2. COMMENTING ON WATANABE'S SURPRISE WHEN THE GOVERNOR SPOKE TO
HIM IN TOKYO, MATSUURA SAHD HHAD BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH IN TOKYO
THAT THE JAPANESE DEMARCHE HAD NOT BEEN THE RESULT OF INTER-AGENCY
DISCUSSIONS, BUT AROSE ENTIRELY FROM THE MFA LEGAL EXPERTS' DOUBTS, REINFORCED BY VIEWS EXPRESSED BY NEWKIRK OF USTR AS RECENTLY AS
MID-MAY. AS THIS AROSE ENTIRELY WITHIN THE MFA, HE FELT THE
POSITION WAS MUCH EASIER TO CONTAIN. HO ASSURED HIM THE STATE
DEPARTMENT HAD MANAGED TO SILENCE USTR AND THAT THE USCG HAD ISSUED
A PUBLIC STATEMENT HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTICLE XXVI(5) (C) DECLARATION.
3. MATSUURA WENT ON TO SAY THAT TO DESCRIBE THE JAPANESE POSITION
AS A ''RESERVATION'' WOULD BE OVERSTATING THE CASE. THEY MERELY
WANTED TO SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT THE BASIC LAW WHEN DRAFTER WOULD
FULLY PROVIDE FOR THE SAR'S AUTONOMY IN TRADE POLICY AND RELATED
MATTERS. HE WISHED TO ASSURE US THAT THEY WANTED TO DO NO MORE THAN
THAT. HE AGAIN STRESSED THEY HAD NEVER HAD ANY INTENTION OF GOING
PUBLIC.
4. MATSUURA ALSO ASKED WHETHER APART FROM INDIA AND THE US ANY
OTHER COUNTRY HAD QUERIED US OVER THE ARTICLE XXVI(5) (C) DECLARATION. HO SAID WE HAD HEARD BRAZIL WAS UPSET OVER THE GATT
SECRETARIAT'S HANDLING OF THE FORMAL NOTIFICATION TO CP'S AND THAT
THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM NEW DELHI WERE FOR THE INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO
ACT IN CONCERT WITH BRAZIL. (DUNKEL HAD MENTIONED BOTH POINTS
DURING HIS STOPOVER, BUT WE DID NOT DISCLOSE THE SOURCE). ALL
WESTERN COUNTRIES HAD EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR THIS ARTICLE XXVM5) (C)
DECLARATION.
Confidential
AjB