9.
iii.
GATT Secretariat, and possibly certain
of Hong Kong's trading partners as well.
It will be possible for Hong Kong to
become a separate contracting party to
the GATT by means of Article XXVI,5(c),
which reads:
"If any of the Customs territories, in
respect of which a contracting party has
accepted this Agreement, possesses or
acquires full autonomy in the conduct
of its external cormercial relations
and of the matters rovided for in this
agreement, such territory shall, upon
sponsorship through a declaration by
the responsible contracting party
establishing the above mentioned fact,
be decmed to be a contracting party".
Whilst this Article has been used mainly to
enable former dependent territories to
become separate contracting parties on
attaining independence, there is a precedent
- Rhodesia for such a declaration to be
made concerning a territory which remains
politically dependent.
There are difficulties about all the above courses
open to Hong Kong. If course (i) or (ii) is followed after
Britain joins EEC, it will become impossible in practice for
Hong Kong's rights to be exercised vis-a-vis the enlarged
community with regard to matters which are harmonised
community practice.
It will certainly be more difficult for
6.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.