TNAG-1493-FCO40-2051-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 77

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22.5.86

COUNCIL

22 May 1986

DRAFT REPLY CONCERNING THE STATUS OF HONG KONG

1.

Article XXVI:5(c) reads:

"If any of the customs territories, in respect of which a contracting party has accepted this Agreement, possesses or acquires full autonomy in the conduct of its external commercial relations and of the other matters provided for in this Agreement, such territory shall, upon sponsorship through

declaration by the

contracting responsible

party establishing the above-mentioned fact, be deemed to be a contracting party.'

a

TE

2. The Council decided in 1963 that admission of contracting parties under the procedures of Article XXVI: 5(c) should be carried

to certification by the Executive Secretary

the out through a effect that the conditions of Article XXVI:5(c) have been fulfilled (document C/30). Such certifications "would be brought to

notice of the Council or the CONTRACTING PARTIES when [BAT

session

that note could be taken of them and

welc a

extended to the new contracting parties".

80

United Kingdom

in

a

3. The

the Permanent Representative of Declaration circulated on 23 April 1986 in document L/5986 stated

that Hong Kong possessed full autonomy

in the conduct of its

external commercial relations and of the other matters provided for in the General Agreement. [At the Ame time as they received the document on the admission of Hong rong, contracting arties also

received communication

of from the People's Republ.

Chit..

On the basis of concerning Hong Kong's status after 1997.] Declaration by the United Kingdom, I certified in document L/5986 that the conditions of Article XXVI:5(c) had been met and that Hong

Kong had become a

A

:

racting party.

the

4. The procedure established in Article XXVI:5(c) and the Council

decision of 1 May 1963 has thus been followed.