TNAG-1332-FCO40-1762-Future-of-Hong-Kong-White-Paper-on-the-Joint-Declaration-1984 — Page 10

GRS 420

SECRET

SECRET

FUTURE EGRET

DESKBY 1609302 FCO AND HONG KONG

FROM PEKING 1608272 SEP 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2377 OF 16 SEPTEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

(78)

95

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

17 SEP 1984

DESK OFFICER

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

G293 Mula

See 107

See 1177 See128

HONG KONG TELNO 2851: FUTURE EGRET: PART 111 OF THE WHITE PAPER: ECONOMIC SYSTEM AND EXTERNAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS.

1.

AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE WORKING GROUP WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT IN TUR:

(A) PARAGRAPH 1: ALTHOUGH IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THESE TWO SUBJECTS TO BE DEALT WITH TOGETHER, THE CHINESE WOULD CONSIDER IT INAPPROPRIATE FOR HMG TO STATE THIS WHEN IT CONCERNS THE ANNEX ELABORATING CHINA'S POST 1997 POLICIES FOR THE SAR, WE SUGGEST THE FIRST SENTENCE BE AMENDED TO:

**THE ANNEX DEALS WITH THESE TWO SUBJECTS, WHICH ARE BOTH IMPORTANT AREAS FOR HONG KONG'S EXPORT-ORIENTED ECONOMY, TOGETHER**. SEMI-COLON

(B) PARAGRAPH 2: FOR SIMILAR REASONS, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE REDRAFTED ALONG THE FOLLOWING LINES:

**THE ANNEX CLEARLY PROVIDES FOR

(A) HONG KONG'S RIGHT TO CONTINUE TO DETERMINE ITS

ECONOMIC POLICIES, INCLUDING TRADE POLICY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS OWN NEEDS SEMI-COLON

(B) THE CONTINUATION OF THE FREE ENTERPRISE, FREE TRADE POLICIES

AND THE FREE PORT, WHICH ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF HONG KONG'S CONSISTENT AND SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC POLICIES:

(C) THE CONTINUATION OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS IN

ECONOMIC MATTERS, NOTABLY THE FREEDOMS OF CHOICE OF OCCUPATION, OF TRAVEL AND OF MOVEMENT OF CAPITAL, AND THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES TO OWN AND DISPOSE OF PROPERTY.''

(C) PARAGRAPH 3: WE SUGGEST THE FIRST SENTENCE BE REDRAFTED TO:

**HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE, THROUGH WHICH IT ENJOYS MOST FAVOURED NATION STATUS IN ITS MARKETS, HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN HONG KONG'S SUCCESS AS AN EXPORTER,**

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