TNAG-1401-FCO40-1873-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 156

TIORS TIAL

DSR 11C

disadvantages of China's participation in the GATT,

rather than opposition to her joining, is the course to

is clear

pursue not least because it appears that a determined

Chinese application could not in any event be resisted.

7. This is not an urgent issue: there are no plans for

discussion in the near future at the Article 113

Committee and the Chinese will no doubt want to

consider their experience as observers a little longer,

before deciding how hard to press for eventual

membership. I should be happy in due course to attend a

meeting to discuss this further, if you think that this Perhaps has would be the affropriate forum. would be useful. But that might wait until we have a

clearer idea of Chinese intentions.

There is no evidence

that the Commission are keen to ventilate the matter

nor indeed that other Member States are as focussed on

the matter as we.. All this suggests that we may be able

to afford to react to developments rather than force the

pace.