318
GRS 700
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
HICK 122/
HÈCEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 1 MAY 1986
CONFIDENTIALOFFICER
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REGISTRY Action Taker
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TELNO 1399
OF 09065OZ MAY 86
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA
UKMHS GENEVA PLEASEVOPY TO CARTLAND
Reg
Can I see reftal
Me.
YOUR TELNO 822 : HONG KONG AND GATT : STATUS OF HONG KONG'S
GENEVA OFFICE
1. PARA. 2 OF YOUR TUR PANTS AN ALARMING SCENAR:10 THAT IS FAR REMOVED FROM WHAT WE HAD BELIEVED TO BE OUR COMMON AIM. IF OUR INTENTION HAD BEEN FOR THE HONG KONG OFFICE TO PASS UNDER A CHINESE UMBRELLA IN 1997'' WE NEED NOT HAVE NEGOTIATED SEPARATE CP STATUS THROUGH THE ARTICLE XXVH(5) (C) ROUTE. THIS WOULD AMOUNT TO WINNING AUTONOMY IN GATT BUT LOSING THE MEANS TO EXERCISE T.
2. YOUR TUR HAS LED US TO RE-EXAMINE THE RELATIONSHIP OF OUR
DELEGATION TO UKMIS UNTIL 1997 WHICH WILL LARGELY DETERMINE ITS FUTURE RELATIONSHIP TO THE PRC DELEGATION THEREAFTER. WE HAVE
CONSISTENTLY ARGUED THAT OUR FREE STANDING STATUS IN GATT MUST BE REFLECTED BY A FREE STANDING MISSION FOR GATT-RELATED PURPOSES. IN PRACTICE BY FAR THE GREATER PART OF THE HONG KONG OFFICE'S FUNCTIONS RELATE TO GATT. FOR THE REMAINDER WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY ACCEPTED THAT WE WOULD NEED TO WORK THROUGH UKMIS. HOWEVER IT SEEMS TO US THAT THE RELATIONSHIP SUGGESTED IN UKMIS TELNO 207 S NOT THE ONLY WAY OF DOING SO. AN ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE FOR THE HONG KONG OFFICE STAFF TO BE GIVEN TEMPORARY ACCREDITATION TO UKMIS ON THE FEW OCCASIONS WHEN THEY NEEDED TO ATTEND MEETINGS OF UNCTAD OR OTHER ORGANISATIONS RESTRICTED TO STATES. THIS WOULD MEAN EXTEN- DING TO OUR OFFICERS IN GENEVA THE ARRANGEMENTS ALREADY IN PLACE FOR HK BASED OFFICERS FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS ATTENDING MEETINGS IN GENEVA AS MEMBERS OF UK DELEGATIONS.
3. THIS WOULD AVOID THE NEED FOR OUR GENEVA OFFICE STAFF TO APPEAR ON THE UKMPS LIST IN THE UN DIRECTORY WHICH IS LIKELY TO RAISE DOUBTS ABOUT THEIR SEPARATENESS FROM UKMIS. FURTHERMORE, SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT WOULD REFLECT THE CONDITION IN SECTION XI OF ANNEX OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WHEREBY SAR REPRESENTATIVES MAY PARTICIPATE AS MEMBERS OF PRC DELEGATIONS, AND AT THE SAME TIME MAKE MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE SAR MISSION TO BE ABSORBED BY THE PRC MISSION WITHOUT OTHER MISSIONS BEING ALERTED.
CONFIDENTIAL
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