TNAG-1492-FCO40-2050-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 156

22208

GRS 500

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO DESKBY 22130OZ FCO

TELNO 609

OF 221226Z APRIL 86

CONFIDENTIAL

MNFO DESKBY 2213OOZ HONG KONG

INFO DESKBY 22133OZ UKMJS GENEVA

HRN 10211

RECE

REGISTRY 2 5 APR 1986

PA

Jaken

See 24

MY SECOND PT (NOT TO UKMIS GENEVA)

YOUR TELNO.718, HONG KONG TELNO.73 AND UKMIS GENEVA TELNO.197 : HONG KONG AND GATT.

6226

1. WE DID NOT RECEIVE UKMIS GENEVA TUR UNTIL AFTER BLUNT'S CALL LATE THIS AFTERNOON ON WANG JAJK. (INCIDENTALLY, UKMIS GENEVA PLEASE NOTE THAT 163OZ #S 0030 LOCAL).

2. BLUNT SPOKE AND HANDED OVER THE TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE AS INSTRUCTED IN PARAGRAPH 4 OF YOUR TUR.

74.

(235

3. WANG ASKED WHETHER OUR INTENDED PRESS RELEASE WOULD BE 4SSUED MN THE UNITED KINGDOM AS WELL AS IN HONG KONG. BLUNT REPLIED THAT HE ADDED WE DID NOT INTEND TO ISSUE A SEPARATE RELEASE HW LONDON. THAT HE WAS SURE THAT IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS PRESS SPOKESMEN M-N LONDON WOULD TAKE THE SAME LINE AS MAN THE HONG KONG PRESS RELEASE. WANG TOOK NOTE.

4. WANG SAND THE CHINESE HAD NOT YET CONSIDERED WHETHER THEY WOULD ISSUE A PRESS RELEASE. HF SO, THEY WOULD SHOW US A COPY. HIS PRELIMINARY VIEW WAS THAT THEY WOULD WISH TO ISSUE A PRESS RELEASE.

5. WANG CONFIRMED CHINESE EXPECTATION OF APPROACHES TO THE GATT DEPUTY DG ON 23 APRIL (SUBSEQUENTLY CONFIRMED IN PARAGRAPH 1 OF UKMIS GENEVA TUR). HE WAS GRATEFUL FOR OUR EXPLANATION OF THE ARRANGEMENTS BEING MADE BY THE GATT SECRETARIAT FOR CIRCULATION OF THE DECLARATIONS. HE THOUGHT THAT THE CHINESE WOULD BE CONTENT MF ENDEED A 25 APRIL PRESS RELEASE FITTED IN WITH THESE GATT

ARRANGEMENTS.

6. WE NOTE FROM PARAGRAPH 2 OF UKRAS TUR THAT THE GATT SECRETAR AT HAVE PROPOSED THAT HONG KONG'S PRESS RELEASE SHOULD #SSUE AT 2409OOZ AND THE GATT PRESS RELEASE AT 24130OZ WE HAVE OF COURSE PROPOSED TO THE CHINESE THAT HONG KONG'S PRESS RELEASE SHOULD ¡ISSUE TWO DAYS AFTER THE APPROACH TO THE GATT DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL, WE ON 25 APRIL. GIVEN THIS FACT AND WANG'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE NEED FOR ADEQUATE TIME FOR CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED PRESS RELEASE TEXTS (MY SECOND UPT), WE THINK THAT IT WOULD BE ILL-RECEIVED HERE WERE WE TO RETURN TO THE CHINESE TOMORROW WITH A FRESH PROPOSAL THAT THIS PRESS RELEASE SHOULD HSSUE AT 1700

CONFIDENTIAL

/LOCAL