TNAG-1401-FCO40-1873-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 71

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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FN HONG KONG 11015OZ MAY 85

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 394 OF 11 MAY

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING, GENEVA, UKREP BRUSSELS, BRUSSELS (FOR JONES) AND WASHINGTON.

UKMIS

DAME ANNE WARBURTON'S TELELETTER OF 1 MAY TO GALSWORTHY, PEKING TELNO. 683 TO YOU AND UKMIS GENEVA'S TELNO. 182 TO YOU:

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HONG KONG AND THE GATT.

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WE AGREE WITH THE OBSERVATIONS MADE IN DAME ANNE'S TLUR AND IN PEKING'S TUR REGARDING THE WORDING OF THE DRAFT TEXTS OF THE DECLARATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE PREFERRED ARTICLE XXVI (5)(C) OPTION, AND ARE CONTENT TO BE GUIDED ACCORDINGLY.

2. AS REGARDS UKMIS' TUR, WE AGREE READILY WITH THE COMMENTS IN RESPECT OF PARAS. 4,5, 6 AND 12(D) OF OUR DRAFT EXCO PAPER. HOWEVER, WE TAKE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT VIEW ON THE SUGGESTION TO OMIT PARAS. 9 AND 21 FROM THE EXCO PAPER ALTOGETHER.

3. OUR AIM IS TO PRESENT AS FULL A CASE TO EXCO AS POSSIBLE ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE. IT IS DESIRABLE THEREFORE TO COVER ALL POSSIBLE ANGLES. THE STATUS OF HONG KONG'S POSITION IN THE GATT FOLLOWING EITHER THE ARTICLE XXVI (5)(C) OR ARTICLE XXXI ROUTE NEEDS TO BE EXPLAINED. PARA.9 MAY NOT HAVE GOT IT RIGHT BUT WE FEEL MENTION SHOULD NOT BE AVOIDED. INSTEAD PARA.9 SHOULD BE AMDENDED TO EXPLAIN THE, SUBTLETY IN THE LIGHT OF THE COMMENTS OF UKMIS.

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4. PARA 21 OF THE DRAFT EXCO PAPER MERELY SERVES TO PUT DOWN A MARKER THAT CHANGES TO SOME OF OUR OVERSEAS OFFICES MIGHT BE NECESSARY WHEN HONG KONG ACQUIRES SEPARATE CONTRACTING PARTY STATUS. IT DOES NOT COMMIT HMG OR HKG TO ANY PARTICULAR LINE OF ACTION. IN ANY EVENT THIS IS A POINT EXCO IS UNLIKELY TO OVERLOOK.

WE FEEL THIS PARAGRAPH SHOULD BE LEFT IN, PERHAPS WITH THE CAVEAT THAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE POSSIBLE CHANGES HAVE STILL TO BE THOUGH THROUGH.

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