TNAG-1402-FCO40-1874-Future-of-Hong-Kong-continued-participation-in-the-General-A-1985 — Page 75

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

CONFIDENTIAL

MFA

6.

The United Kingdom has accepted the MFA on Hong Kong's behalf. If, as we propose, Hong Kong becomes a separate Contracting Party to the GATT, continuing participation of Hong Kong in the MFA would be secured simply by Hong Kong notifying the GATT Director-General

its wishes in this respect.

of

CCC

7.

as its position declaration

Hong Kong's position in the CCC is analagous in the GATT. We therefore propose to make a parallel

under the convention establishing

establishing the CCC at the s ame time as we

make the declaration to the GATT.

C

HONG KONG'S AUTONOMY IN THE CONDUCT OF ITS EXTERNAL ECONOMIC

RELATIONS

8.

On 5 June, Mr Galsworthy

submitted on the problem of how we

should avoid legal challenge to

legal challenge to a declaration by HMG under the GATT

that Hong Kong

external

full possesses

commercial relations.

autonomy in the conduct

its

Ministers agreed that we should

of

consult the Law Officers on the constitutional propriety of making

such statement and on the need to proceed with formal

of

a

instrument

a

instrument

is

now

entrustment. The Attorney General has now agreed that we should be justified in contending that Hong Kong enjoys this autonomy and

The way of entrustment.

open, therefore, to put this paper to the Chinese. We will put the

letter of

entrustment in hand and will inform the Chinese of it in

that

we

should issue

an

the Joint Liaison Group in order to avoid any suspicions that might be engendered at later date through a leak ог because we need to

make public reference to it.

a

9. I have discussed this submission with Mr Galsworthy, who is

otherwise engaged today.

I have discussed the

In draft with the Defelment

شده

and

agree proposed.

27 June 1985

with what i

L.G. Ehrman

W G Ehrman

Hong Konn Department

1327/15

CONFIDENTIAL

Page 75Page 76

AB

Mr. Chrom wat 20/6 Mr. Andsworthy.

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.