TNAG-1655-FCO40-2303-Hong-Kong-and-the-Customs-Co-operation-Council-(CCC)-1987 — Page 166

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HONG KONG IN THE CCC AFTER 1997. WE ALSO SUGGEST THAT SPEAKING

NOTES BE TRANSMITTED TO THE TWO EMBASSIES FOR THEIR USE WITH THE

SECRETARY-GENERAL.

THESE SPEAKING NOTES, IN ADDITION TO RECORDING THE

BACKGROUND TO THE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND

CHINESE SIDES, SHOULD SEEK THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S ADVICE ON THE

PROCEDURES TO BE ADOPTED FOR SECURING SEPARATE MEMBERSHIP FOR

HONG KONG, FOR EXAMPLE ON WHETHER VOTING WOULD BE REQUIRED. THE

SECRETARY-GENERAL'S ADVICE SHOULD ALSO BE SOUGHT ON THE TEXT OF

THE DRAFT UK AND PRC DECLARATIONS AND ON THE TIMING NECESSARY FOR

CONSIDERATION BY THE COUNCIL. A COPY OF THE SPEAKING NOTES COULD

BE LEFT WITH THE SG. WE HAVE PRODUCED DRAFT BACKGROUND NOTES AND

SPEAKING NOTES WHICH WE INTEND FOR USE BY THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN

BRUSSELS. HAPPY TO SHOW CHINESE SIDE THESE DRAFTS (HAND OVER

DRAFTS).

FOLLOWING THE APPROACH IN PARALLEL TO THE SG OF THE CCC

AND DEPENDING ON THE RESULTS OF THAT APPROACH, WE SUGGEST THAT A

DIPLOMATIC EXERCISE SIMILAR TO THE ONE LAUNCHED IN THE CASE OF

GATT SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT BY THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES.

THIS WOULD OF COURSE INVOLVE DISCUSSION ON THE LIST OF COUNTRIES

TO BE APPROACHED AS WELL AS ON THE SPEAKING NOTES AND BACKGROUND

MATERIAL TO BE USED BY THE TWO GOVERNMENTS SO THAT THEY COULD

APPROACH, SEPARATELY, BUT IN PARALLEL, THE AGREED LIST OF CCC

CONTRACTING PARTIES IN ADVANCE OF MAKING THE DECLARATIONS.

SUBJECT TO THE SG'S ADVICE ON FORMAL VOTING ARRANGEMENTS,

THE PURPOSE OF THIS JOINT EXERCISE WOULD BE EITHER TO SECURE THE

REQUIRED NUMBER OF VOTES OR SIMPLY TO BRIEF THE COUNTRIES

CONCERNED TO GIVE ADVANCE INFORMATION OF OUR INTENDED ACTION, TO

FORESTALL ANY QUERIES WHEN HONG KONG'S APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

IS CONSIDERED BY THE CCC COUNCIL. ON THE BASIS THAT AN

AFFIRMATIVE TWO-THIRD MAJORITY MAY BE REQUIRED, WE SUGGEST THAT

ALL CCC MEMBERS SHOULD BE APPROACHED DURING THIS EXERCISE WITH

THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTIONS OF BAHAMAS, BURKINA FASO, GUYANA, MALTA,

NIGER, PARAGUAY AND SIERRA LEONE NONE OF WHOM HAS ATTENDED A

COUNCIL MEETING SINCE 1984.

WHILE WE AGREE THAT OUR GENERAL PRINCIPLE SHOULD BE ONE

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