TNAG-1493-FCO40-2051-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 166

CONFIDENTIAL

37823

1

WE MUST ENSURE

THAT OUR IDEAS ARE DEMONSTRABLY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE SAID

BEFORE AND DO NOT TRIGGER CHINESE SENSITIVITIES ON SOVEREIGNTY

ISSUES. BUT WE CAN ONLY GET A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT CHINESE

CONCERNS ARE BY TALKING TO THEM FURTHER.

4.

-

SECOND, WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE VIEW WHICH WILL BE TAKEN

BY OTHER GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES. ON THE WHOLE, THEY HAVE

ACCEPTED THE NEW SITUATION READILY ENOUGH - AN ARGUMENT FOR

LEAVING THINGE AS THEY ARE, WHICH MAY BE DEPLOYED BY THE CHINESE.

BUT SOME DOUBTE HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED BY THE INDIANS IN

PARTICULAR, BUT ALEO BY THE BRAZILIANS AND AND INITIALLY BY THE

AMERICANE. THESE WILL PROBABLY NOT INTERFERE WITH THE WORKING OF

THE NEW RELATIONSHIP BEFORE 1997: BUT THE POSSIBILITY REMAINS

THAT SOME OF THE DOUBTERS MIGHT RESURRECT THEIR DOUBTS THEN. IT

IS NOT, OF COURSE, CERTA IN THAT A CHANGE IN THE STATUS OF YOUR

GENEVA OFFICE WOULD HEAD OFF THIE POESIBILITY. BUT WE SEE THE

FORCE OF THE ARGUMENT THAT THE MORE INDEPENDENTLY THE OFFICE IS

BEEN TO BE OPERATING NOW THE HARDER IT WILL BE TO RAISE

OBJECTIONE IN 1997. (AGAIN THE EXACT TITLE OF THE OFFICE 18 A SECONDARY MATTER.)

5.

THIRD, WE NEED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE SCOPE OF THE

OFFICE'E ACTIVITIES. IT MUST BE DEMONSTRABLY THE CASE THAT EVERY

AUTONOMOUE ACTIVITY OF THE OFFICE OR ITE PERSONNEL FALLE WITHIN

THE AREA OF HONG KONG 'E AUTONOMY AS DEFINED BY THE JOINT

DECLARATION. CONVERSELY FOR ANY ACTIVITY NOT FALLING WITHIN THAT

SCOPE THE CONNECTION WITH UKMIS (AND AFTER 1997 WITH THE CHINESE

MIEGION) WILL BE RETAINED. IF YOU ARE SATISFIED THAT SUCH

ACTIVITIES ARE REALLY SO INFREQUENT AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE DO,

THEN TEMPORARY ACCREDITATION MAY BE AN ANSWER. (ONE AREA WHICH

YOU DO NOT MENTION IE CONTACTS WITH UNHCR: ARE THESE SIGNIFICANT

OR REGULAR?)

6.

FOURTH WE HAVE THE PROBLEM OF PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES.

AS UKMIE TUR NOTES, WE SHALL NOT KNOW WHERE WE STAND UNTIL WE

HAVE SPOKEN TO THE EWIEE. A GOOD DEAL MAY BE OBTAINABLE: BUT WE

EHALL HAVE TO START THE PROCESS RECOGNISING THAT SEPARATION MAY

ENTAIL A COET IN TERMS OF LOST PRIVILEGEƐ.

2

CONFIDENTIAL

Redacted under FOI exemption 27(1)