GRS 1039
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE CANBERRA
TELNO 169
OF 080945Z APRIL 86
AND TO IMMEDIATE VIENNA, BRUSSELS, OTTAWA, COPENHAGEN AND TO IMMEDIATE HELSINKI, PARIS, BONN, ATHENS, REYKJAVIK AND TO IMMEDIATE DUBLIN, ROME, TOKYO, LUXEMBOURG, WELLINGTON AND TO IMMEDIATE THE HAGUE, OSLO, LISBON, MADRID, STOCKHOLM AND TO IMMEDIATE BERNE, ANKARA, WASHINGTON, UKREP BRUSSELS AND TO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, JAKARTA, BANGKOK AND TO IMMEDIATE MANILA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, SEOUL, ISLAMABAD AND TO IMMEDIATE MONTEVIDEO, NEW DELHI, BRASILIA, CAIRO AND TO IMMEDIATE BELGRADE, UKMIS GENEVA
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING
HONG KONG AND GATT: BRIEFING OF CONTRACTING PARTIES
(NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) BACKGROUND
1.
HK to.
AT PRESENT HONG KONG PLAYS WHAT IS IN EFFECT AN
AUTONOMOUS ROLE UNDER THE GATT, BUT FORMALLY SPEAKING FROM WITHIN
THE BRITISH DELEGATION. HONG KONG IS NOT (NOT) A
CONTRACTING PARTY IN ITS OWN RIGHT. CHINA AT PRESENT HAS
INDICATED ITS INTENTION TO REJOIN THE GATT, BUT HAS NOT SO FAR
FORMALLY APPLIED. THIS WILL BE A DIFFICULT ISSUE.
2.
A MAJOR OBJECTIVE IN OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH CHINA ON THE
FUTURE OF HONG KONG WAS TO ENSURE THAT AFTER 1 JULY 1997, WHEN HONG KONG WILL BECOME A SPÉCIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (SAR) OF
THE PRC, ITS PARTICIPATION AND AUTONOMY IN THE GATT AND OTHER
SIMILAR TRADING ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED. THE JOINT DECLARATION ON HONG KONG, SIGNED ON 19 DECEMBER 1984, PROVIDES THAT THE HONG KONG SAR WILL RETAIN THE STATUS OF A SEPARATE
CUSTOMS TERRITORY AND, USING THE NAME OF 'HONG KONG, CHINA' MAY
ON ITS OWN CONCLUDE RELEVANT AGREEMENTS WITH STATES, REGIONS AND
RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS. IT WILL DECIDE ITS
ECONOMIC AND TRADE POLICIES ON ITS OWN, AND MAY PARTICIPATE IN
RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE
AGREEMENTS SUCH AS THE GATT. THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON
GROUP, ESTABLISHED UNDER THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, TOOK
AS AN ISSUE FOR PRIORITY CONSIDERATION 'ACTION
TO ENABLE THE
HONG KONG SAR TO MAINTAIN ITS ECONOMIC RELATIONS AS A SEPARATE
CUSTOMS TERRITORY AND IN PARTICULAR TO ENSURE THE MAINTENANCE OF
HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE GATT, MFA AND OTHER
INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS'.
See
134
AB 11
Redacted under FOI exemption sections 27 (1)(a), (c), (d)
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.