TNAG-1493-FCO40-2051-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 61

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- 23 JUN 1986

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INDEX

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201330Z JUN

GRS 347

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FM FCO

TO PRIORITY PEKING

TELNO 598

OF 201330Z JUNE 86

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA, NEW DELHI, TOKYO

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UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 330: HONG KONG AND GATT

1.

THE INDIANS' STATEMENT (TEXT IN MIFT) AT THE GATT COUNCIL

MEETING ON 17 JUNE THAT THEY RESERVE THEIR POSITION ON HONG

KONG'S GATT STATUS AFTER 1 JULY 1997 IS UNHELPFUL. WE HAVE BEEN

THINKING ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD RESPOND. WE SUSPECT THAT FURTHER

LOBBYING WITH THE INDIANS WILL NOT BE PRODUCTIVE, AND IN ANY CASE

THEIR POSITION IS NOW ON THE RECORD. OUR VIEW, THEREFORE, IS

THAT THE RIGHT RESPONSE WOULD BE A SIMILAR, ON-THE-RECORD,

STATEMENT AT THE NEXT GATT COUNCIL (15 JULY). AS INDIAN DOUBTS

FOCUS ON POST-1997 ARRANGEMENTS, IT WOULD BE FOR THE CHINESE TO

MAKE IT. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN SPEAK AT THE MEETINGS

ALTHOUGH THEY ARE ONLY PRESENT AS OBSERVERS.

2.

FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION AT THIS STAGE, SUCH A STATEMENT

MIGHT CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

'NOTE THAT THE INDIANS RECOGNISE HONG KONG AS A

CONTRACTING PARTY TO THE GATT AT PRESENT. IN VIEW OF

THIS AND IN VIEW OF THE CLEAR DESCRIPTION OF THE STATUS

OF THE FUTURE HONG KONG SAR IN RESPECT OF THE MATTERS

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