TNAG-2291-FCO40-3300-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Taiwan-1991 — Page 13

CONFIDENTIAL

HKC 020/3

1 OCT 1991

هم

23

173642

MDHOAN 1736

ни Таллай Hk / Tarvan like.

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELNO 1158

OF 30175OZ SEPTEMBER 91

INFO PRIORITY UKREP BRUSSELS, UKMIS GENEVA

INFO ROUTINE EC POSTS, HONG KONG, TOKYO, WASHINGTON, OTTAWA

MIPT: TAIWAN/GATT

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE PROPOSED PRESIDENCY MANDATE TO HEADS OF MISSION IN PEKING:

1.

QUOTE ASSUMING THAT CHINA WOULD OBJECT TO TAIWAN'S BECOMING A MEMBER OF GATT IN ITS OWN CAPACITY BEFORE CHINA IS IN A POSITION TO RESUME ITS SEAT IN GATT, THE PRESIDENCY WOULD APPRECIATE THAT HEADS OF MISSION IN BEIJING EVALUATE DISCRETELY (WITHOUT CONSULTING THE CHINESE OR ANY THIRD PARTY) POSSIBLE POLITICAL REPERCUSSIONS WITH REGARD TO CHINESE-EC RELATIONS IN CASE OF EC SUPPORT TO START AN INFORMAL CONSULTATION PROCESS AMONG A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF GATT CONTRACTING PARTIES TO ARRIVE AT COLLECTIVE (TACIT) SUPPORT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A GATT WORKING PARTY TO EXAMINE THE APPLICATION OF TAIWAN TO ACCEDE TO

THIS WORKING GROUP WOULD WORK PARALLEL TO THE WORKING GROUP WHICH CONSIDERS THE APPLICATION OF CHINA AND WOULD CONSIDER THE APPLICATION OF TAIWAN WITHOUT PREJUDICING EXPLICITLY THE TIMING OF ITS REALISATION.

IF THE HEADS OF MISSION COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS SUPPORT BY THE EC WOULD BE LIKELY TO HAVE POLITICAL REPERCUSSIONS WITH REGARD TO CHINESE-EC RELATIONS, THEY ARE REQUESTED TO INCLUDE IN THEIR REPORT ADVICE ON WAYS IN WHICH THESE REPERCUSSIONS COULD BE MITIGATED IF NOTWITHSTANDING OBJECTIONS BY CHINA, THE EC WERE TO DECIDE TO JOIN THE AMERICAN PROPOSAL TO FORM SUCH A WORKING PARTY ON TAIWAN.

HEADS OF MISSION ARE REQUESTED TO SEND IN THEIR REPORT BY 22 OCTOBER IN ORDER THAT THE SUBJECT CAN BE TAKEN UP IN THE ASIA WORKING GROUP OF 31 OCTOBER UNQUOTE.

HURD

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