TNAG-1492-FCO40-2050-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 210

GRs 260

CONFIDENTIAL

FM UKMIS GENEVA

TO DESK BY 18110OZ FCO

TELNO 186

OF 180947Z APRIL 1986

CONFIDENTIAL

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING

YOUR TELNO 314: HONG KONG AND GATT

1.

TOP COPY

DUNKEL (DG GATT) HAS TAKEN UNEXPECTED DECISION TO ATTEND A

MEETING EX-GENEVA AND WILL NOT NOW BE AVAILABLE BEFORE THE AFTERNOON

OF 30 APRIL.

2. WE HAVE INFORMALLY FLOATED THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING

DECLARATIONS TO DUNKEL THIS SUNDAY 20 APRIL, BUT NEW THER GATT SECRETARIAT NOR CHINESE MISSION ARE KEEN. IN ANY CASE, THIS WOULD RUN COUNTER TO THE IDEA OF A ROUTINE DECLARATION AND THE SECRETARIAT

WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PUBLISH THE DECLARATHONS THE FOLLOWING DAY.

3. IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN YOUR PROPOSED SCHEDULE FOR 23 APRIL IF THE DECLARATIONS WERE MADE TO MATHUR (DEPUTY D-G, GATT). THE DECLARATIONS WOULD HAVE THE SAME LEGAL STANDING AND WE ARE ADVISED THAT DUNKEL WOULD NOT MIND. BUT THE INITIAL REACTION OF THE CHINESE MISSION HIS NEGATIVE.

4.

HT THEREFORE APPEARS TO US THAT WE SHOULD NOW PLAN TO MAKE THE DECLARATIONS ON THE AFTERNOON OF 30 APRIL OR 2 MAY (1 MAY HS A CHINESE HOLIDAY AND HONG KONG OFFICE PREFER TO AVOID MAKING THE DECLARATIONS ON LABOUR DAY).

5. AS REGARDS PUBLICATION OF THE DECLARATIONS, IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE IF THE PROPOSED PRESS RELEASE WERE TO ISSUE BEFORE THE DECLARATIONS BECAME GENERALLY AVAILABLE AS GATT DOCUMENTS. IN WEW OF THE TIME DIFFERENCE WITH HONG KONG, IT WOULD BE SAFEST TO PLAN FOR THE PRESS RELEASE TO BE MADE TWO DAYS AFTER THE DECLARATIONS ARE MADE. THIS WOULD BE LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE DECLARATIONS AS GATT DOCUMENTS.

SANKEY

HONG KONG AGREEMENT : RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH D (FE)

DEP/HD PUSD

PS/MR RENTON MR WILSON

COPIES TO:

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL

HKRIJO!!

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 1 8 APR 1986

A8184

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