TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1988

THE FIRST EXAMPLE WAS A SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION

ΤΟ ENSURE HONG

KONG'S FUTURE TRADING POSITION IN THE WORLD, RETAINING ITS OWN QUOTAS AND SIGNALLING TO THE WORLD) COMMUNITY THAT IT WOULD REMAIN A TRADING ENTITY OPERATING SEPARATELY FROM ANY OTHER REGIME.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION WAS NOT EASY," SAID MR WIGGHAM.

"A GREAT MANY DETAILED QUESTIONS WERE ASKED, A GREAT MANY ANSWERS WERE GIVEN, AND LARGE AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION EXCHANGED, BOTH ORALLY AND IN WRITING.

"THE DISCUSSIONS WERE MARKED THROUGHOUT BY MUTUAL CO-OPERATION, FOSTERED BY A GENUINE WILL ON BOTH SIDES TO ACHIEVE THE SAME OBJECTIVE, THAT IS TO SAY THE SOLUTION BEST SUITED TO PRESERVING KONG'S PROSPERITY.'

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THE RESULT WAS THE ENHANCEMENT OF HONG KONG'S STATUS IN GATT AS A FULL CONTRACTING PARTY, NO LONGER SPEAKING AS A MEMBER THE UK DELEGATION; NOR, AFTER

1997. SPEAKING AS A MEMBER OF CHINESE DELEGATION, BUT WITH OUR OWN VOICE, SAID MR WIGGHAM.

HONO

THE

OF

THE

"AN ISSUE WHICH WAS BOTH COMPLICATED AND SENSITIVE WAS THUS RESOLVED ፕርን THE SATISFACTION OF ALL PARTIES CONCERNED, THROUGH CONSTRUCTIVE CONSULTATION, HE SAID.

THE

ANOTHER EXAMPLE WAS THE CONTINUED APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONVENTIONS TO HONG KONG AFTER 1997 AND ETONG IN ACTIVITIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL

KONG'S CONTINUED PARTICIPATION LABOUR ORGANISATION (ILO).

"THE CASE OF THE ILO IS ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW BOTH SIDES, IN RECOGNITION OF HONG KONG'S PRACTICAL NEEDS, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO WHAT AT FIRST SEEMED INSURMOUNTABLE DIFFICULTIES.

"THE RESULT OF LONG AND PATIENT CONSULTATION IS THAT THE 18 INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONVENTIONS WITCH CURRENTLY APPLY TO HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO APPLY, EVEN THOUGH THEY DO NOT APPLY TO CHINA AS A WHOLE.

MR WEGGHAM SAID HE HAD QUOTED TWO OR MANY EXAMPLES TO ILLUSTRATE THE SPIRIT IN WILTCH CONSULTATION TOOK PLACE.

"THE PROCESS WAS (AND (8) NOT A CONFRONTAT LONAL NEGOTIATION.

'IT INVOLVES A JOINT KFFORT TO ACHIEVE A MUTUAL GOAL IN WAYS

AS ACCEPTABLE AS POSSIBLE TO ROTH SIDES.

TURNING TO THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP „ MR WIGGHAM SAID: ***FIR LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS RECORDED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES IN THE JLG

13 GROWING

STEADILY LONGER.

"THE GROUP

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