TNAG-1401-FCO40-1873-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 17

2

82

53

57

รา

PP HONG KONG

GRS 941

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 301010Z MAY 85

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

TELEGRAM NUMBER 752 OF 30 MAY 1985

21891 1

HKK 040/260

RECEIVE

-3 JUN 1985

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA, UKREP BRUSSELS, BRUSSELS (FOR JONES), WASHINGTON

63 (717

(62) (65)

YOUR TELNOS 838, 894 AND 1000 (NOT TO ALL) PEKING TELNO 683 AND UKMIS GENEVA TELNOS 182 AND 192: HONG KONG'S

FUTURE POSITION IN GATT AND CCC: DRAFT EXCO MEMORANDUM

16

1. MIFT CONTAINS A REVISED VERSION OF THE DRAFT MEMORANDUM IN

YOUR TELNO 838 AND OF THE DRAFT DECLARATIONS UNDER GATT ARTICLE

XXVI (V)(C) TO WHICH IT REFERS. THE REDRAFTS (CLEARED WITHIN THE

FCO AND WITH DTI AND HM CUSTOMS AND EXCISE) INCORPORATE DRAFTING

CHANGES AND TAKE ACCOUNT OF ALL THE COMMENTS IN TURS. SUBJECT TO

ANY FURTHER COMMENT FROM UKMIS GENEVA, THE WAY WOULD NOW SEEM

CLEAR FOR YOU TO PUT THE PAPER TO EXCO WITHIN THE TIMESCALE YOU

ENVISAGE (PARA 7 OF YOUR TELNO 1000).

2.

WE WISH TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC

ASPECTS OF THE REVISED PAPER:

GENERAL

3. WE HAVE OMITTED REFERENCES TO HONG KONG'S QUOTE DE FACTO

UNQUOTE AND/OR QUOTE DE JURE UNQUOTE STATUS IN THE GATT. IT DOES

NOT SEEM TO US THAT SUCH REFERENCES EITHER HELP OR CONTRIBUTE

TOWARDS ANY GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ARGUMENTATION IN THE

PAPER. THE ISSUE IS NOT SO MUCH A FACTUAL OR LEGAL POSITION AS

WHETHER HONG KONG ATTAINS A SEPARATE MEMBERSHIP STATUS WITHIN THE

GATT.

PARA 5

4.

AS SUGGESTED BY UKMIS GENEVA (PARA 2 OF THEIR TELNO 182) AND

SUBSEQUENTLY ENDORSED BY YOU (PARA 2 OF YOUR TELNO 894) WE HAVE

NOT MENTIONED ANY TIME-FRAME WITHIN WHICH CHINA'S ACCESSION TO

THE GATT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED.

PARA 6 OPTION 3

5. THE WORDING OF THIS OPTION (WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT OF THE

see/83

84

1

CONFIDENTIAL