GRS 290
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING.
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1083
OF 240CD3Z JUNE 86
CONFIDENTIAL
HICK 122/1
RECEIVED IN !
སྙ
24 JUN 1986
TOP COPY
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, MIS GENEVA NEW DELHI TOKYO
609408
YOUR TELNOS 592-9: HONG KONG AND GATT.
Action fake
1. THE CHINESE ARE LIKELY TO BE VERY DISAPPOINTED AT THIS UNHELPFUL STATEMENT BY THE INDIANS. WE THINK THEY WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY DE
RECEPTIVE TO (AND INDEED GLAD OF) OUR VIEWS ON HOW BEST TO COUNTER
IT, AND WOULD BE WILLING TO ACT AS ENVISAGED IN FIRST TUF.
2. WE IMAGINE THEY WOULD FAVOUR A BALD STATEMENT ALONG THE LINES OF PARAGRAPH 2 OF TUR, RATHER THAN A MORE DEVELOPED REBUTTAL OF THE INDIAN POSITION. THEY WOULD ALSO PROBABLY WELCOME ANY SUPPORT WE COULD GIVE THEM.
3. WE SUGGEST THAT IN APPROACHING THE CHINESE WE SET OUT THE PROBLEM AS FOLLOWS
THE CHINESE SIDE WILL HAVE NOTED INDIAN STATEMENT OF 17 JURE. IMAGINE CHINESE WILL SHARE OUR CONCERN AND OUR VIEW THAT THERE ARE NO GROUNDS FOR THE INDIANS TO RESERVE THEIR POSITION REGARDING THE STATUS OF HONG KONG AS A CONTRACTING PARTY TO GATT FROM 1 JULY 1997 WE HAVE BEEN GIVING THOUGHT TO HOW BEST TO REACT. SEE ADVANTAGE FOR HONG KONG IN EARLY REBUTTAL. THIS MIGHT BEST BE ACHIEVED BY A
T
TEMENT AT THE NEXT GATT COUNCIL MEETING ON 15 JULY. COULD CONTAIN THE POINTS... (PARAGRAPH 2 OF TUR). SINCE INDIA DOUBTS FOCUS ON POST-1997 STATUS OF HONG KONG, IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR UK TO MAKE SUCH A STATEMENT. CONSIDER HOWEVER THAT A STATEMENT ALONG THESE LINES BY CHINESE WOULD BE 20TH APPROPRIATE AND VALUABLE IN COUNTERING INDIAN POSITION. UNDERSTAND THAT CHINESE ARE FULLY ENTITLED TO SPEAK AT GATT COUNCIL MEETINGS IN THEIR CAPACITY OF OBSERVERS. SUCH A STATEMENT BY CHINESE WOULD OF COURSE HAVE FULL SUPPORT OF HMG. GRATEFUL FOR CHINESE REACTION TO THIS PROPOSED COURSE OF ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
EVANS
HONG KONG AGREEMENT : RESTRICTED
LIMITED
HD/HKD
COPIES TO:
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS
HD/FED
RESEARCH D (FE)
DEP/HD PUSD
PS/MR RENTON MR WILSON
CONFIDENTIAL
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