TNAG-1492-FCO40-2050-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 167

142

GRS 300

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 593

CONFIDENTIAL

OF 210923Z APRIL 86

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, BERNE

TOP COPY

HONG KONG TELNO.1069 : UKMIS GENEVA TELNO.175 AND YOUR TELNO.674: STATUS OF HONG KONG'S GENEVA OFFICE.

169

YOUR TUR DID NOT REACH US

1. WE APOLOGISE FOR THE DELAYED REPLY. UNTIL VERY SHORTLY BEFORE CLOSE OF PLAY ON FRIDAY (18 APRIL).

1

2. THE CHINESE ARE ALREADY AWARE FROM THE JANUARY EXPERT DISCUSSIONS THAT THE HONG KONG GENEVA OFFICE IS PHYSICALLY SEPARATE FROM THE REST OF UKMIS AND THAT HONG KONG WOULD IN FUTURE BE REPRESENTED BY A SEPARATE DELEGATE TO THE GATT. FURTHERMORE, ALTHOUGH SECTION VI OF ANNEX I TO THE JOINT DECLARATION STATES ONLY THAT THE SAR MAY PARTICIPATE IN RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS THE GATT, SECTION XI OF ANNEX I MAKES CLEAR THAT THE SAR MAY, USING THE NAME 'HONG KONG, CHINA' ''PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND CONFERENCES NOT LIMITED TO STATES. WE INTERPRET THIS STATEMENT (PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE CHINESE HAVE NOT CRITICISED OUR RESPONSES ON THIS SUBJECT DURING DURING THE JANUARY EXPERT DISCUSSIONS) AS SUGGESTING THAT THE CHINESE WOULD NOT OBJECT TO THE CHANGE ENVISAGED BY HONG KONG IN THE FORMAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEIR GENEVA OFFICE AND UKMIS GENEVA. OF COURSE, THE ONLY WAY TO BE SURE ON THIS POINT WOULD BE TO PUT OUR DETAILED PROPOSITIONS TO THE MFA. GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE INVOLVED, THE FACT THAT THE CHANGE IN HONG KONG GATT STATUS HAS BEEN LARGELY A JOINT EFFORT AND THE OVERRIDING NEED (AS SEEN FROM HERE) TO AVOID ANY PUBLIC ARGUMENT WITH THE CHINESE, WE SEE ADVANTAGE IN SUCH AN APPROACH. IT SEEMS TO US THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ENSURE AT AN EARLY STAGE THAT OUR PLANS FOR PRE-1997 ARRANGEMENTS IN THIS AREA WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE SO THAT NO SCOPE FOR

DISCONTINUITY IN 1997 EXISTS.

EVANS

HONG KONG AGREEMENT : RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH D (FE)

DEP/HD PUSD

COPIES TO:

HKR 122/1 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

22 APR 1986

.DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

168

REGISTRY

Action Taken

развязи!

PS/MR RENTON MR WILSON

CONFIDENTIAL

231