RESTRICTED
ра очо
106324
MDHIAN 6989
RESTRICTED
FM UKDEL OECD PARIS
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELNO 54
OF 24180OZ SEPTEMBER 93
(CORRECTED VERSION ADDED ADDRESSEE)
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, FCO
CORRECTED VERSION FCO ADDED
91/3
HKB 091
27 SEP 1993
HONG KONG TELNO 1517: CHINA/TAIWAN: OECD WORKSHOP, HONG KONG, 11/12 OCTOBER
·
1 AS SUGGESTED IN TUR, I SAW OECD DUPUTY GENERAL TANIGUCHI THIS AFTERNOON TO URGE HIM TO MAKE ONE FINAL EFFORT TO SECURE CHINESE PARTICIPATION IN THIS WORKSHOP WITHOUT JEOPARDISING THAT OF TAIWAN. HE SAID HE WOULD SHORTLY BE SEEING LIU, MINISTER COUNSELLOR IN THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN PARIS, TO DO JUST THAT. IT WAS TOO LATE TO ALTER THE GATT FORMULA IN THE ANNOTATED AGENDA AND BACKGROUND PAPER FOR THIS WORKSHOP (WHICH HAVE ALREADY ISSUED). BUT HE THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE SCOPE FOR COMPROMISE IN THE LIST OF WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS (WHICH HAS NOT YET ISSUED). FOR EXAMPLE PARTICIPANTS
COULD BE DESCRIBED JUST BY THEIR ADDRESS EG. TAIPEI.
2. TANIGUCHI TOOK FULL NOTE OF HONG KONG'S WISHES AND SAID HE WOULD
DO HIS BEST. BUT THE OECD SECRETARIAT COULD NOT BE A PING PONG BALL BETWEEN THE TWO CHINAS. SINCE THIS WAS A TRADE WORKSHOP, THE GATT FORMULA SEEMED THE SAFEST ONE TO STICK TO. HE HAD ALREADY NEGOTIATED STEPS IN THE DIRECTION OF COMPROMISE. FOR EXAMPLE THE CHINESE EMBASSY HAD INSISTED THAT NO ONE FROM THE TAIWAN MFA SHOULD PARTICIPATE AND THE LATTER HAD RELUCTANTLY AGREED.
3. TANIGUCHI THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IN CHINA'S INTEREST TO ACCEPT THIS FIRST OFFER OF CONTACT WITH OECD. THE USA HAD ONLY AGREED ON THIS OCCASION BECAUSE IT WAS A ONE-OFF INFORMAL SEMINAR AND WOULD PROBABLY RESIST FURTHER CONTACTS IF CHINA REBUFFED THIS INVITATION. THE CHINESE EMBASSY HAVE APPARENTLY ARGUED THAT THE GATT LANGUAGE
IS ONLY APPROPRIATE TO AN ORGANISATION DEALING WITH CUSTOMS AREAS AND THAT APEC, ADB AND IOC USE THEIR PREFERRED "CHINESE TAIPEI" FORMULA. WE CAN BUT LEAVE IT TO THE OECD SECRETARIAT TO NEGOTIATE THE BEST MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE LANGUAGE.
MACINNES