TNAG-1493-FCO40-2051-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 120

Reply by the Hon. E.P. Ho, CBE, JP, Secretary for Trade and Industry,

Question No. 9

to a question by the Hon. Stephen Cheong, OBE, JP, in Legislative Council on 28 May 1986

ра pa GATT.

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Question:

HKK 1221

RECEIVED IN

DISTRY

1 0 JUN 1986

Sir,

In the light of the unquestionably welcome news that Hong Kong is now deemed to be a separate contracting party to the GATT, would the Government inform this Council :

faken

ABB106

(a)

(b)

the significance of such a development; and

what plans are there to strengthen our Geneva Office and the Multilateral Division of the Trade Department so as to cope with the expected increase in work load in the very near future.

Hong Kong is deemed to be a contracting party

to the GATT by virtue of the declaration made by Her Majesty's

Government (HMG) to the Director General of the GATT on

23 April 1986 under the provisions of Article XXVI (5) (c)

of the GATT. This declaration formally stated that Hong

Kong possesses full autonomy in the conduct of its external

commercial relations and of the other matters provided for

in the GATT.

2.

This declaration by HMG was reinforced by a parallel declaration by the Chinese Government made on the same day

that as from 1 July 1997 the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will meet the requirements for a customs territory

/to be deemed

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