Cx
OCMIAN 9501
CONFIDENTIAL
PP PEKIN
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
2111152 APR
GRS 724
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 1118
OF 211115Z APRIL 87
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
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TOP COPY
CONFIDENTIAL
49501 1
MIPT: HONG KONG AND THE CCC
1.
FOLLOWING IS DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE FOR USE BY BRUSSELS WHEN
MAKING JOINT APPROACH TO SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE CCC.
BEGINS
MY CHINESE COLLEAGUE AND I APPROACH YOU TODAY TO
SEEK YOUR FORMAL ADVICE ON A MATTER OF IMPORTANCE TO BOTH OUR
GOVERNMENTS. IT CONCERNS HONG KONG AND ITS STATUS WITHIN THE
CUSTOMS COOPERATION COUNCIL.
YOU ARE NO DOUBT AWARE THAT THE BRITISH AND CHINESE
GOVERNMENTS TOOK STEPS LAST YEAR TO DECLARE HONG KONG A
SEPARATE CONTRACTING PARTY TO THE GATT. IT HAD BEEN AGREED
BETWEEN OUR TWO GOVERNMENTS THAT SUCH STATUS WOULD BE
COMMENSURATE WITH HONG KONG'S STATUS, BEFORE AND AFTER 1997, AS A
SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY HAVING AUTONOMY IN ITS EXTERNAL
COMMERCIAL RELATIONS. HONG KONG DULY BECAME A SEPARATE GATT
CONTRACTING PARTY ON 23 APRIL 1986, UNDER ARTICLE XXVI(5)C OF THE
GATT.
OUR TWO GOVERNMENTS HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY DISCUSSED HONG
KONG'S PARTICIPATING IN THE CCC AND HAVE CONCLUDED THAT, IN THE
LIGHT OF THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN CERTAIN OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE
GATT AND THE CONVENTION ESTABLISHING THE CCC IT WOULD BE
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CONFIDENTIAL