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APPROPRIATE FOR HONG KONG NOW TO ACQUIRE THE STATUS OF A SEPARATE
MEMBER OF THE CCC.
IN THE VIEW OF OUR GOVERNMENTS HONG KONG FULFILLS THE
CONDITIONS FOR SEPARATE MEMBERSHIP IN THE CCC.
HONG KONG ALREADY IS A SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY AND HAS
FULL AUTONOMY IN ITS EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS. ITS STATUS
WITHIN GATT AS A SEPARATE CONTRACTING PARTY CONFIRMS THIS. ALSO, FOR THE POST-1997 PERIOD, THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG SIGNED ON 19 DECEMBER 1984 BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLES' REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT PROVIDES
THAT THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA (THE NAME TO BE GIVEN TO HONG KONG WHEN THE
TERRITORY REVERTS TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY ON 1 JULY 1997) SHALL BE
A SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY AND MAY PARTICIPATE IN RELEVANT
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS.
ACCORDINGLY, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, IN A DECLARATION TO THE GATT, MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE HONG KONG SAR MAY CONTINUE TO BE A CONTRACTING PARTY TO THE GATT AFTER 1997. FURTHER, THE JOINT
DECLARATION PROVIDES THAT THE HONG KONG SAR MAY ON ITS OWN, USING
THE NAME QUOTE HONG KONG, CHINA UNQUOTE, MAINTAIN AND DEVELOP RELATIONS AND CONCLUDE AND IMPLEMENT AGREEMENTS WITH STATES,
REGIONS AND RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS IN THE
APPROPRIATE FIELDS AND MAY PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL
ORGANISATIONS AND CONFERENCES NOT LIMITED TO STATES.
ARTICLE II(A)(II) OF THE CONVENTION ESTABLISHING THE CCC PROVIDES
FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL BY QUOTE THE GOVERNMENT OF ANY
SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY WHICH IS PROPOSED BY A CONTRACTING
PARTY HAVING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FORMAL CONDUCT OF ITS
DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS, WHICH IS AUTONOMOUS IN THE CONDUCT OF ITS
EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS AND WHOSE ADMISSION AS A SEPARATE
MEMBER IS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL. UNQUOTE.
FINALLY,
THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS HAVE THEREFORE,
THROUGH NEGOTIATION, DECIDED TO SEEK SEPARATE MEMBER STATUS FOR
HONG KONG IN THE CCC AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. TO THAT END TEXTS OF
DRAFT DECLARATIONS TO THE CCC HAVE BEEN PREPARED. (HAND OVER
DRAFTS).
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