TNAG-1401-FCO40-1873-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 168

R W Renwick CMG

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27 March 1985

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It is not too soon to think about this: it may be necessary at some stage to indicate to China on what terms she could expect to be admitted to GATT if, despite discouragement, she persisted in applying.

5. A separate but related question concerns Hong Kong's accession to GATT. We want Hong Kong to become a Contracting Party in her own right, and China is committed to allowing this. There is no substant- ive link between the two issues, although China might seek to establish one if her application fell to be considered at the same time as Hong Kong's. We may need to consider the timing of the Hong Kong applica- tion alongside the China question.

6. I should be pleased to discuss all this further, once you have had time to digest the paper, copies of which go to Alan Montgomery (UKMIS Geneva) and Rosemary Spencer (UKREP).

Yours sincerely

Tony Lane

A J Lane

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