CONFIDENTIAL
HKC C20/5
14
047717
MDLIAN 1037
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 1947
OF 24025OZ JULY 92
CM
TOP COPY
Q DIST?
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE ATTC TAIPEI
√241.
pa.
2417
BTC HONG KONG PLEASE PASS ATTC TAIPEI
VISIT TO TAIWAN BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE.
SUMMARY
1
.
YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT DONALD TSANG, OUR DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE, WILL SHORTLY VISIT TAIWAN AT THE INVITATION OF THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE TAIWANESE BOARD OF FOREIGN TRADE. THIS
WILL BE UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF APEC.
DETAIL
2.
OVER THE PAST YEAR OUR TRADE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN BUILDING UP
A DIALOGUE WITH THE TAIWANESE UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF APEC. THIS HAS COVERED BILATERAL TRADE, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, CUSTOMS OPERATIONS ETC... MEETINGS HITHERTO HAVE LARGELY TAKEN PLACE OUTSIDE HONG KONG IN THE MARGINS OF APEC MEETINGS, E.G. IN SEOUL AND BANGKOK. ONE SUCH MEETING WAS HELD IN HONG KONG, AT TECHNICAL LEVEL.
3. TAIWAN IS OUR FOURTH LARGEST TRADING PARTNER, AFTER CANADA, THE USA AND JAPAN. THROUGH THE DIALOGUE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DEAL
WITH SEVERAL PROBLEMS IN OUR COMMERCIAL RELATIONS. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE TAIWANESE INTRODUCED A SET OF ORIGIN-CERTIFICATION RULES WHOLLY DISCRIMINATORY TO HONG KONG. MORE RECENTLY, THEY
MADE A NUMBER OF ALLEGATIONS AGAINST US AT US CONGRESSIONAL
HEARINGS OVER THE QUESTION OF ILLEGAL TRANSHIPMENT. BOTH HAVE BEEN RESOLVED THROUGH THE DIALOGUE, BUT A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF EACH OTHER'S INTERESTS COULD HELP AVOID OTHER DIFFICULTIES IN THE
FUTURE.
4. THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TAIWAN'S BOARD OF FOREIGN TRADE, SHEU KE-SHENG, HAS NOW INVITED TSANG TO VISIT TAIWAN. SHEU HAS SPECIFICALLY STATED THAT THE DISCUSSIONS WILL BE HELD UNDER THE
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CONFIDENTIAL