TNAG-1655-FCO40-2303-Hong-Kong-and-the-Customs-Co-operation-Council-(CCC)-1987 — Page 183

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MIPT: HONG KONG AND THE CCC

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FOLLOWING IS DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE FOR USE BY BRUSSELS WHEN

MAKING JOINT APPROACH TO SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE CCC.

BEGINS

MY CHINESE COLLEAGUE AND I 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 PARTICIPATING IN THE CCC AND HAVE CONCLUDED THAT, IN THE

LIGHT OF THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN CERTAIN OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE

GATT AND THE CONVENTION ESTABLISHING THE CCC IT WOULD BE

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