Hong Kong to remain APEC member after 1997

Hong Kong to remain APEC member after 1997

JAKARTA (JP): Hong Kong said yesterday it will remain a
separate member in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
forum even after it reverts back to Chinese authority in 1997.

Trade and Industry Secretary H.T. Chau told reporters after
meeting with Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas at
the latter's office that there will be no change in Hong Kong's
membership in APEC, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
and the World Trade Organization.

Hong Kong's status after 1997 is clear, he said. "The status
will be highly autonomous ... We will continue to have separate
customs territory," he said.

These points have been agreed by China and Britain. There will
still be a border between Hong Kong and China and Hong Kong will
continue to be a separate economic entity with the authority to
decide its own economic policies.

"So, after 1997, Hong Kong's membership in APEC will remain
the same with the exception that we will change our name to Hong
Kong China instead of just Hong Kong," Chau said.

Hong Kong is one of the "three China's" which are members of
APEC, alongside mainland China and Taiwan, officially referred to
in APEC as Chinese Taipei.

Because of Beijing's sensitivity and in keeping with the "one-
China" policy of most other APEC members, memberships are based
on economic entity and not defined by state or government.

This sensitivity is also behind the reason why Hong Kong is
sending its Financial Secretary Hamish McCleod to the APEC
leadership meeting in Bogor next Tuesday, and not Governor Chris
Patten.

China had threatened to boycott the Bogor meeting if the Hong
Kong governor or Chinese Taipei President Lee Teng-hui were
invited. (sim)