TNAG-2752-FCO40-3967-Organisation-for-Economic-Co-operation-and-Development-(OECD-1994 — Page 47

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From the Permanent Representative

SENT BY FAX, HARD COPY TO FOLLOW

26 November 1993

United Kingdom Delegation To the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

19 Rue De Franqueville

75116 Paris

Telephone: 45 24 98 20 Facsimile: 45 24 98 37

K. R. Tebbit Esq

HKB 091/3

ERD

FCO

2 NOV 1993

Dear Kevin,

HONG KONG: OBSERVERSHIP OF OECD TRADE COMMITTER

1. I enclose a copy of a letter to the OECD Secretary-General of 23 November from the Hong Kong Secretary for Trade and Industry applying for observer status on the OECD Trade Committee and its Working Party. The Secretary-General circulated this at yesterday ́s meeting of the OECD Council CGNME. Paye said he had received the letter via Joseph Wong, the Hong Kong Representative to the GATT (who had kindly given me an advance copy). He reminded the Council that the normal procedure with such requeste is to refer it to the Technical Committee concerned for advice, in this case the Trade Committee, which next meets on 16/17 February 1994.

་་

2. Paye said that the letter would be on the agenda of the next Council meeting on 9 December so that it could be formally referred to the Trade Committee. After consulting Joseph Rong, I had informally suggested to the Secretariat this timing since I myself

meeting On 10 Valiuaiy But my Deputy Jenkin Thomas could certainly handle the January meeting.

VAAY

#

3. Deputy Secretary General Taniguchi has hold me, today that Joseph. telephoned him to request postponement of the first consideration by Council. No reason was given, but this may be because (as I understand) the Chinese authorities have asked the Hong Kong authorities for a meeting to discuss the issue. As you know from correspondence from Mrs Ip in Hong Kong, the Chinese authorities had been informally informed of Hong Kong's plans. I later spoke to Joseph Wong who confirmed the instructions he had received from Hong Kong. I pointed out that my Ambassadorial colleagues here would be surprised if the Hong Kong letter was not now on the agenda for 9 December. They might smell a rat.

4. Paye took the opportunity to tell Council that his long planned informal lunch with the Chinese Ambassador to France will take place on 2 December. This is to help follow-up the request in the OECD June Ministerial Communique for deepening understanding of China.

/Paye also