TNAG-2752-FCO40-3967-Organisation-for-Economic-Co-operation-and-Development-(OECD-1994 — Page 48

26-NOV-1993 12:40

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Paye also hopes to learn more about the Taiwan nomenclature problem which prevented China from attending the DNME Trade Workshop in Hong Kong in October.

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5. We in this Delegation have discreetly lobbied all the other 24 Delegations and Joseph Wong has called on the major players. I fear we are still meeting some resistance to Hong Kong's request.

It was unfortunate that yesterday's brief mention of Hong Kong came just after we had spent a long time discussing recommendation 23 in John Gray's report on the CCT about authorising "a cautious expansion of transition country attendance as observers at Committee meetings". There were several grumbles about the unwieldy number of observers beginning to turn up at busy technical meetings. As our Dean, the Swiss Ambassador, said to me "if Hong Kong, why not Malta, Israel, Bulgaria etc, etc?" Some of my colleagues also are worried about what will happen in 1997 and about China's view of the whole matter.

6. In this context you might like to be reminded of the OECD Council's policy on observers in document C)92)65 of 27 April 1992 - attached for you only. We will have no difficulty in proving that Hong Kong is "a major player" since I believe it is the tenth largest trading entity in the world. We can also point out that it is already a member of GATT, certain customs agreements, IMO, ICAO etc. It should also be on balance a plus to argue that Hong Kong is only seeking membership of one Committee, thus not threatening to add to the number of observers elsewhere. (Unfortunately a counter-argument is that only countries/economies intending full membership of OECD in the long-term really deserve observer status).

7.

I would welcome any further instructions particularly on the point at the end of para 3 above. I am keeping in close touch telephonically with Joseph Wong and would be grateful if UKMIS Geneva could show him a copy of this letter.

Чит

Keith

ever

K. G. MacInnes

[By fax only]

(Plus first enclosure)

cc: Head of Hong Kong Dept., FCO

J. Cooke Esq., DTi (Fax no. 828 3258)

Political Adviser, Government of Hong Kong N.C.R. Williams, CMG, UK Permanent Representive,

Mission to the UN, Geneva