TNAG-1492-FCO40-2050-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 37

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ON HONG KONG'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GATT

It is stipulated in the Joint Declaration on the question of Hong Kong, which was signed by the Government of the People's Republic of China and

of China and the Government of the United Kingdom in

Beijing on 19 December 1984, and in Annex I to that Declaration:

the People's Republic of China shall, upon the resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July, 1997,

establish the long Kong Special Administrative Region of the

People's Republic of China.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will retain

the status of a free port and a

separate customs territory,

**

will decide on its own

its economic and trade policies and may

on its own, using the name of Hong Kong, China ", maintain

and develop relations and conclude and implement agreements

with states, regions and relevant international organizations in the economic, trade and other fields, and may participate

in relevant international organizations and accede to inter-

national trade agreements such as the General Agreement on

Tariffs and Trade.

Hong Kong has played an important and active role in the

world trade system since the Gereral Agreement became applicable

to Hong Kong on 28 July 1948. In order το ensure a continued

similar role on the part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative

Region as from 1 July 1997, the Chinese and British Governments

have, in pursuance of the relevant provisions of the Joint

Declaration, decided through consultations that each side will

according to GATT Article XXVI 5 (C), address a communication

to the Director-General of the GATT.

;

The Government of the United Kingdom will, in its decla-

ration, refer to the Declaration made by the United Kingdom

on 28 June 1948 concerning the application of the Gereral

Agreement on Tariffs and Trade to Hong Kong, confirm that Hong

Kong, as a separate customs territory, fully meets the

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