TNAG-1401-FCO40-1873-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 110

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5. The reactions of other countries in the region

friendly to the west would probably be mixed. Most of

them share in the general interest in breaking down

China's past international isolation, and many of them

(eg ASEAN countries) are likely on general political

grounds to be unwilling to give very open expression to

any qualms that they may feel about the consequences of

China's accession for their economic interests (see

para 22 below). Many LDCs will welcome the prospect of

China as a powerful ally in the GATT, though the

enthusiasm of some Asian LDCs may be tempered by

traditional fears of Chinese dominance (and a few might

oppose Chinese accession outright). It will be

important for the West, in formulating its own response

to a formal Chinese application, to consult closely

with the regional countries if damage to Western

relations with them is to be avoided.

British Interests and Hong Kong

6. We share in the general Western interests described

above.

China is a huge and growing market, whose

imports of new technology and equipment for

infrastructure development are likely to increase, and

whose regions are showing increasing autonomy in the

determination of import policy. We might not reap many

commercial rewards for being conspicuously more helpful

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