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)