TNAG-1402-FCO40-1874-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 131

DSR 11 (Revised)

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COVERING CONFIDENTIAL

minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/hote

Sir John Freeland

DEPARTMENT:

Legal Advisers

TEL. NO:

TO: H Steel Esq CMG OBE Legal Secretary

Law Officers' Department Royal Courts of Justice Strand

London WC2A 2LL

TYPE: Draft/Final 1+

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CAVEAT....

.In Confidence

N.P. Mir have confined the

Memorandum

Enclosures-flag(s)..............

SUBJECT: HONG KONG AND THE GATT

We would be grateful if you would consult the Attorney

General about our proposals to establish Hong Kong as a

separate contracting party to the General Agreement on

Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The problem, and our approach,

are set out in the attached Memorandum. The two points

on which we would particularly wish to have the Attorney's

advice are at paragraph 15 of that Memorandum/to the GATT

since it is one of the issues which we are likely to

discuss with the Chinese in the very near future.

It may well be that, having regard to the policy set out

in paragraph 3 of the Memorandum, there may be other

organisations or treaties which pose comparable problems.

We are already aware of the Customs Cooperation Council

where it will be necessary to establish that Hong Kong

"is autonomous in the conduct of its external commercial

relations" and where we will want to take the same line.

I hope, however, that the Attorney's view on the issues

raised in the present Memorandum will avoid our having to

trouble him with further cases raising a similar point.

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