TNAG-1467-FCO40-1994-Visits-by-Sir-Edward-Youde--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-the-UK-1986 — Page 79

TG1AMR

CONFIDENTIAL

CALLS BY GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG 14/15 MAY 1986

c)

Hong Kong Government Office, Geneva

Essential Facts

1.

Shortly before the declarations on separate contracting party status for Hong Kong in GATT were made, Hong Kong asked us to raise urgently with the Secretariat and the Swiss authorities the complete separation of HKGO Geneva from UKMIS Geneva for all purposes, and a change of

name to "Hong Kong Economic and Trade Mission".

Chinese got wind of this in

sensitivity.

2.

We are in continued

The

Geneva and have shown

consultation with Hong Kong,

UKMis Geneva and Peking about this. We understand that the Hong Kong end of the exchanges have been handled almost exclusively by the Trade and Industry Branch, who have shown

insufficient understanding of Chinese concerns, or of the diplomatic/protocol aspects of this question vis-à-vis the

GATT, other member states, and the Swiss authorities.

would be useful to suggest that the Governor take a more personal interest.

It

CONFIDENTIAL