TNAG-0250-FCO40-286-Discussions-on-EEC-negotiations-between-officials-of-Hong-Ko-1970 — Page 105

i. If there is no change in Hong Kong's GATT

ii.

status, the GATT would continue to be applied

to Hong Kong through the U.K. in terms of

Articles XXIV 1 and XXVI 5(a) quoted above.

As long as Britain remains a separate contracting

party to the GATT, there would be no formal

change in the way Hong Kong would be represented

in the GATT by "the UK on behalf of Hong Kong"

whether such a spokesman sat with the EEC bloc

or elsewhere.

In the context of a proposal to give Hong Kong

authority to negotiate voluntary restraint agreements

with third countries outside the cotton textile

field, Sir Eugene Melville has suggested that

separate Hong Kong representation should be

sought in the GATT Cotton Textile Committee and

in the new GATT Working Party on Textiles. This

would amount to a Delegation of representation

by the UK. The advantages claimed for such an

arrangement are

a.

b.

there would be no difficulty about conflicting

views being expressed between UK and Hong

Kong representatives in the Committee and

such a form of independent representation of

Hong Kong could provide a test bed for

assessing whether wider freedom could be

given to Hong Kong in the GATT. Such a

change would have to be discussed with the

5.

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