TNAG-1401-FCO40-1873-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 7

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HKK040/24

84

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DESKZY 31120OZ MAY

FM HONG KONG 311030Z MAY 85

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1043 OF 31 MAY

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA, UKREP BRUSSELS

BRUSSELS (FOR JONES) AND WASHINGTON.

82)

83

RS

-3 JUN 1985

YOUR TELNOS 752 AND 753 : HONG KONG'S FUTURE POSITION IN

THE GATT AND CCC : DRAFT EXCO MEMORANDUM.

WE ARE GENERALLY CONTENT WITH THE REVISED DRAFT IN YOUR SECOND

TUR, EXCEPT THAT HAVING CONSULTED BURROWS, WE ARE NOT (REPEATE NO) CONVINCED THAT THE USE OF MAY BE DEEMED IN THE UK

DECLARATION IS CORRECT OR EVEN PREFERABLE. THE WORD ''MAY''

TENDS ALWAYS TO IMPLY MAY OR MAY NOT'' AND, PRESENTATIONALLY,

IT IS JUST NOT SUFFICIENT FOR HONG KONG'S PURPOSES. WE WOULD

VERY STRONLGY PREFER ''SHOULD'', IF NOT ''SHALL '' AS IN THE ACTUAL WORDING OF ARTICLE XXVI 5(C).

2. WE NOTE INCIDENTALLY THAT THE FINAL SENTENCE OF THE DRAFT PRC

DECLARATION USES THE WORD ''SHOULD''. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO

CONVINCE THE CHINESE THAT THEY SHOULD AGREE TO MAKE A

DECLARATION WHICH (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) APPEARS TO BE MORE

DEFINITIVE THAN THE DECLARATION WHICH HMG ARE PREPARED TO MAKE.

3. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD RECONSIDER THIS POINT

URGENTLY. WE SHOULD LIKE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE TO PUT THE PAPER TO

EXCO FOR DISCUSSION ON 11. JUNE.

рет

sed85,

YOUDE

LIMITED

нко

FED ECDCE). PS

PS/NIR LULE.

1412 WILSON

COPIES TO:

HKLTO LONDON.

мк

FIFOLST

MISS WILMHURST

NIR A J

PRYOR

} LEGAL ADV.

ITP/DTI

MRS HEALM CRE, MARK LANE.

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