TNAG-1492-FCO40-2050-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 256

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CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY

GRS 180

CONFIDENT HAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1120

OF 160840Z APRIL 86

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA

UKMIS GENEVA PLEASE PASS A COPY TO CARTLAND.

(164)

HONG KONG AND THE GATT: YOUR TELNO 301 TO PEKING AND PEKING

·TELNO 545

SUBJECT TO PARA. 2 BELOW WE AGREE THAT A PRESS RELEASE SHOULD HSSUE SHORTLY AFTER NOTIFICATION OF THE DECLARATIONS. THE LEAKS REPORTED IN OUR TELNO. 1086 MAKE THIS EVEN MORE DESIRABLE.

2. WE WOULD STILL FAVOUR DECLARATIONS BEING MADE ON 21 APRIL AS PROPOSED BY CHINESE SIDE IF BRIEFING CAN BE COMPLETED. THIS WOULD ALLOW A STATEMENT TO BE MADE IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 23 APRIL. A SEPARATE PRESS RELEASE WOULD THEN BE UNNECESSARY.

3. SEE MIFT FOR PROPOSED LEGCO STATEMENT.

4. IF THE NOTIFICATIONS CANNOT BE MADE UNTIL 23/24 APRIL THEN WE WOULD ISSUE PRESS RELEASE AHEAD OF THE NEXT LEGCO SITTING ON 30 APRIL. THE PRESS RELEASE WOULD WELCOME THE DECLARATIONS AND MAKE THE POINTS IN PARAS. 4 AND 5 OF MIFT. THE FULL STATEMENT COULD THEN BE MADE IN LEGCO ON 30 APRIL.

5. WE SHOULD ALSO MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS THE TEXTS OF BOTH DECLARATIONS WHEN CIRCULATED AS GATT DOCUMENTS. THE CHINESE WOULD ONLY NEED TO BE CONSULTED IF WE WERE TO PUBLISH THE TWO TEXTS

BEFORE THE GATT CIRCULAR.

YOUDE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT : RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH D (FE)

DEP/HD PUSD

PS/MR RENTON

MR WILSON

HKR 122/1

RECEIVED 'N PEGISTRY

NOLY

1 8 APR 1986

TRY

+ངÇ

ABIS

COPIES TO:

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL