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APPROPRIATE STEPS BE TAKEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO SECURE HONG
KONG'S SEPARATE MEMBERSHIP IN THE CCC, UP TO AND AFTER 1997,
ALONG THE LINES ENVISAGED FOR THE GATT.
15. ARTICLE II(A)(II) OF THE CONVENTION ESTABLISHING A CUSTOMS
COOPERATION COUNCIL PROVIDES FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL BY:
'THE GOVERNMENT OF ANY SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY WHICH IS
PROPOSED BY A CONTRACTING PARTY HAVING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
FORMAL CONDUCT OF ITS DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS, WHICH IS AUTONOMOUS
IN THE CONDUCT OF ITS EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS AND WHOSE
ADMISSION AS A SEPARATE MEMBER IS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL'.
16. THE BRITISH SIDE THUS PROPOSE THAT IN PARALLEL TO ITS
DECLARATION TO THE GATT, UNDER GATT ARTICLE XXVI (5)(C), THE
UNITED KINGDOM SHOULD, AT THE SAME TIME, MAKE A PARALLEL
DECLARATION UNDER ARTICLE II (A)(II) OF THE CONVENTION,
SPONSORING HONG KONG'S MEMBERSHIP OF THE COUNCIL. THE BRITISH
SIDE FURTHER PROPOSE THAT:
(I) FOR REASONS SIMILAR TO THOSE GIVEN IN PARAGRAPHS 8 AND 9
ABOVE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE GATT, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IF BOTH
HONG KONG AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PRC WERE TO SUBMIT THEIR OWN
SEPARATE STATEMENTS TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE CCC:
(II) THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND GOVERNMENT OF
THE PRC SHOULD TOGETHER TAKE WHATEVER STEPS THEY CONSIDER
NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THE COUNCIL LOOKS FAVOURABLY UPON AND
SUBSEQUENTLY APPROVES SEPARATE MEMBERSHIP FOR HONG KONG.
17. APPENDIX 2 TO THIS PAPER CONTAINS THE BRITISH SIDE'S
PROPOSALS FOR THE THREE KINDS OF DECLARATION WHICH, UNDER THE
ARTICLE II(A)(II) PROCEDURE, COULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE SECRETARY
GENERAL OF THE CCc.
APPENDIX I
GATT DECLARATIONS
(A) UK DECLARATION
I AM INSTRUCTED BY HER MAJESTY'S PRINCIPLE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS TO DECLARE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH
ARTICLE XXVI (V)(C) OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND
TRADE, THAT HONG KONG, BEING A SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY IN
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