CONFIDENTIAL
TITLE
4. THE QUESTION OF TITLE IS OF LESS SIGNIFICANCE. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON PARA. 4 OF TUR :
(A) WE FAIL TO SEE THAT THE CHINESE ARE IN A POSITION TO INSIST ON ANYTHING RELATING TO THE TITLE OF OUR OFFICE PRIOR TO 1997, ALTHOUGH WE DO OF COURSE APPRECIATE THE NEED TO EXPLAIN TO THE CHINESE, WITHOUT ACRIMONY WE HOPE, THE PROPOSED TITLE AND ITS DERIVATION FROM THE JOINT DECLARATION. IN OUR VIEW THE CHINESE WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY IN ARGUING AGAINST THE ACCEPTABILITY OF SUCH A TITLE, PARTICULARLY SINCE SECTION VI OF ANNEX PROVIDES THAT THE HKSAR IS MERELY REQUIRED TO REPORT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ECONOMIC AND TRADE MISSIONS TO THE CPG. WE CAN CERTAINLY NOT SEE WHY WE SHOULD DROP THE TITLE WITHOUT HAVING TRIED IT ON THEM, WITH THE JUSTIFICATION FOR IT. WE HAVE BEEN ABLE BY SEASONED PERSUASION TO OVERCOME THIS FIRST DEBATE ON OTHER GATT RELATED
ARRANGEMENTS.
t
(B) WE WELCOME YOUR ASSESSMENT THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO DIFFICULTY *N SETTING UP NEW OVERSEAS OFFICES. HOWEVER THE FORMULATION THE OFFICE OF HK'S PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE GATT CLEARLY CANNOT BE APPLIED TO OUR EXISTING OFFICES IN BRUSSELS, LONDON, NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON, LET ALONE ANY NEW OFFICES. THE SUBJECT OF THESE OFFICES WILL NEED TO BE ADDRESSED SHORTLY, BUT WE CANNOT THINK OF ANOTHER TITLE THAT WOULD BE AS SUITABLE AS ''ECONOMIC
AND TRADE MISSION''
(C) WE ARE CONTENT FOR PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES TO BE DEALT WITH IN SLOWER TIME. HOWEVER IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF UKMIS GENEVA WOULD ELABORATE ON THE VIEW IN THE IR TELNOS 207 AND 234 THAT THE SWISS AUTHORITIES WOULD BE RELUCTANT TO GRANT PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DIRECTOR GENERAL GATT AND THE SWISS AUTHORITIES IN AUGUST 1977.
(D) REGARDING THE POINT IN PARA. 5 OF TUR, SINCE THE TITLE WE PROPOSE IS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE TERMS OF WHICH ARE WELLKNOWN TO EXCO AND THE CHINESE WE CONSIDERED THAT NOT TO USE SUCH A TITLE WOULD INDEED BE SEEN AS DISCARDING IT.
5. TO SUM UP, AS HMG IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION OF HK UNTIL 1997 OUR PREFERRED COURSE OF ACTION
REMAINS :
2
CONFIDENTIAL
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