TNAG-2752-FCO40-3967-Organisation-for-Economic-Co-operation-and-Development-(OECD-1994 — Page 161

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 912

OF 040908Z JUNE 93

AND TO PRIORITY PEKING, UKDEL OECD, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

132466

MDLIAN 7173

OECD: OBSERVER STATUS FOR HONG KONG

·

WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE WITH PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE, UKDEL OECD THE BEST WAY OF SECURING OBSERVER STATUS FOR HONG KONG ON THE OECD TRADE COMMITTEE.

2. WE SEE ADVANTAGE IN REGULAR PARTICIPATION IN THE WORK OF THE TRADE COMMITTEE. IT WOULD ENABLE US TO HAVE EARLY KNOWLEDGE OF ISSUES AND IDEAS WHICH MAY TURN UP IN GENEVA AS PART OF GATT TRADE TALKS. WE BELIEVE ALSO THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISCUSSION OF TRADE ISSUES AT THAT FORUM.

3.

LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE OECD SECRETARIAT PASSED TO US INFORMALLY AND ON A PERSONAL BASIS SUGGESTS THAT THERE MAY BE SUFFICIENT FLEXIBILITY IN THE OECD CONVENTION TO ALLOW HONG KONG TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORK OF THE TRADE COMMITTEE ON AN INFORMAL BUT REGULAR BASIS AS AN OBSERVER.

4.

OBSERVER STATUS WOULD SUIT US VERY WELL AS IT WOULD ALLOW REGULAR PARTICIPATION IN THE TRADE COMMITTEE WHILE AVOIDING THE CREATION FOR HONG KONG OF INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS WHICH WOULD REQUIRE CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINESE. IF IT IS DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD GO AHEAD, WE WOULD SEE NO NEED TO INFORM THE CHINESE IN ADVANCE IN VIEW OF THE INFORMAL NATURE OF THE ASSOCIATION. BUT THIS CAN BE LOOKED AT SEPARATELY AND LATER.

5.

WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON HOW TO PROCEED. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK OUR PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE GATT IN GENEVA TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF A VISIT TO PARIS IN MID-JUNE TO DISCUSS WITH PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE, UKDEL OECD HOW BEST TO TAKE THIS FORWARD.

PATTEN

YYYY

1

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