TNAG-1655-FCO40-2303-Hong-Kong-and-the-Customs-Co-operation-Council-(CCC)-1987 — Page 162

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INFO ROUTINE UKREP BRUSSELS, HONG KONG, PEKING

MY SECOND IPT: HONG KONG AND THE CCC

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FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF A SPEAKING NOTE FOR THE APPROACH TO

THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE CCC:

BEGINS

MY CHINESE COLLEAGUE AND I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED

TO APPROACH YOU TODAY TO SEEK YOUR FORMAL ADVICE ON A MATTER OF

IMPORTANCE TO BOTH OUR GOVERNMENTS. IT CONCERNS HONG KONG AND

ITS STATUS WITHIN THE CUSTOMS COOPERATION COUNCIL.

YOU ARE NO DOUBT AWARE THAT THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS

TOOK STEPS LAST YEAR TO DECLARE HONG KONG A SEPARATE CONTRACTING

PARTY TO THE GATT. IT HAD BEEN AGREED BETWEEN OUR TWO

GOVERNMENTS THAT SUCH STATUS WOULD BE COMMENSURATE WITH HONG

KONG'S STATUS, BEFORE AND AFTER 1997, AS A SEPARATE CUSTOMS

TERRITORY HAVING AUTONOMY IN ITS EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS.

HONG KONG DULY BECAME A SEPARATE GATT CONTRACTING PARTY ON 23

APRIL 1986, UNDER ARTICLE XXVI(5)C OF THE GATT.

OUR TWO GOVERNMENTS HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY DISCUSSED HONG KONG'S

PARTICIPATION IN THE CCC AND HAVE CONCLUDED THAT, IN THE LIGHT OF

THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN CERTAIN OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE GATT AND

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