TNAG-1492-FCO40-2050-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 105

7

CONFIDENTIAL

(B)

(C)

MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG OFFICE CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE SAME DIPLOMATIC RIGHTS AND IMMUNITIES AS AT PRESENT IN RESPECT OF ALL THEIR ACTVITIES IN GENEVA, BY VIRTUE OF THEIR STATUS UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE UK MISSION.

IN ALL GATT QUESTIONS, THE HONG KONG OFFICE TO ACT WITH

COMPLETE AUTONOMY.

6. HONG KONG MAY BE ATTACHING UNDUE IMPORTANCE TO THE PRECISE WORDING OF THE TITLE OF THEIR OFFICE. IT APPEARS TO US THAT FOR GATT QUESTIONS, THERE COULD BE A SPECIAL LETTER HEADING ''PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF HONG KONG TO GATT''. FOR NON-GATT QUESTIONS, THE LETTER HEADING COULD READ HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE. WHILE NOTING THE VIEW EXPRESSED IN PARA 2(F) OF HONG KONG TELNO 1210, WE BELIEVE THAT TO DELETE UK MISSJONI WOULD PROBABLY CAUSE LESS PROBLEMS WITH THE SWISS AND THE CHINESE THAN TO CHANGE THE NAME FROM HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE TO THONG KONG

ECONOMIC AND TRADE MISSION'.

7. IF THIS SOLUTION IS ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG AND YOU, THEN 4 SHOULD LIKE TO MENTION IT INFORMALLY TO MY SWISS COLLEAGUE AS SOON

AS POSSIBLE.

4 HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO DISCUSS THIS TELEGRAM WITH CAPTLAND, BUT I AR GIVING HIM A COPY.

&.

SANKEY

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH D (FE)

DEP/HD PUSD.

-HD/ECD (E)

PS/MR RENTON MR WILSON

COPIES TO:

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

-2- CONFIDENTIAL

Page 105Page 106