199
GRS 150
CONFIDENTIAL
FN TOKYO
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 469
OF 2508OOZ APRIL 85
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA
TOP COPY
MY TELNO 427:
HONG KONG AND THE GATT: BRIEFING OF CONTRACTING PARTIES
1. THE GATT DIVISION OF THE NFA HAVE NOW TOLD US THAT THEIR REACTION AT A POLICY LEVEL TO OUR DECLARATION (WHICH THEY HAD ALREADY SEEN) IS POSITIVE. HOWEVER, THE MATTER IS STILL BEING EXAMINED BY THEIR LEGAL EXPOERTS.
2. ONE OF THEIR EXPERTS HAS SINCE QUERHED WHAT IS THE CURRENT LEGAL BASIS (E.G. IN HONG KONG LEGISLATION) FOR HONG KONG'S AUTONOMY IN EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS. IN VIEW OF THE 1984 JOINT DECLARATION HE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE SITUATION FROM 1997. WE DO NOT THINK THAT THIS LOW-LEVEL ENQUIRY NEED BE TAKEN TOO SERIOUSLY. BUT GRATEFUL FOR ANYTHING WE CAN ADD TO THE DEFENSIVE POINTS IN YOUR TELNO 170 (WHICH WE, OF COURSE, DEPLOYED).
GIFFARD
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
DEP HD/PUSD
HD/PUSD
RD (MR WALKER)
COPIES TO:- MR ROBERTS MR FIFOOT
MR WOOD
MR PEIRCE
MR MALLABY
NEWS DEPT
LEGAL ADVISERS
LEGAL ADVISERS
ASSESSMENTS STAFF CABINET OFFICI
CABINET OFFICE
MR DRC CHRISTOPHER CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADOCK NO 10 DOWNING STREET
PS
PS/LADY YOUNG
PS/MR RENTON
PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING
SIR J FREELAND
MR WILSON
MR CROWLEY
PUSD
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK122/1
RELE..
29 APR 1986
ABD
(283
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