TNAG-1401-FCO40-1873-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 118

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and action has to be taken on a Community basis, not

always easily achieved. Moreover we could expect

strong pressure from producers in this country against

any sudden dismantlement of the Community's existing

defences against Chinese imports. Other Member States,

however are in any case likely to take the initiative

in seeking "transitional" (but in practice more or less

indefinite) provisions allowing the maintenance of QRS

on substantially tougher lines than the East European

Protocols.

We shall have a strong political interest

in letting others make the running on this, although we

shall want to make sure that the Community position

takes the interest of our producers fully into

account.

16. If China qualified for developing country status,

she would also be able to claim the special treatment

accorded to developing countries under Part IV of the

GATT. This would enable her to benefit from all the

commitments made by developed contracting parties to

reduce trade barriers without having to remove many of

her own. She could also exploit the obligation on

developed countries in part IV to have special regard

to the trade interests of less-developed countries in

order to resist their efforts to retain transitional

Since the terms of accession are agreed by a

QRs.

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