The Secretary-General of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and has the honor to inform him of the deposit by the Government of the People's Republic of China, on March 23, 1999, of its instrument of accession to the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants of December 2, 1961, as revised at Geneva on November 10, 1972, and on October 23, 1978.
The said instrument of accession contains a declaration that "the 1978 Act of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants shall not apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China until the Government of the People's Republic of China notifies otherwise." (Translation)
The People's Republic of China has not heretofore been a member of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, founded by the said International Convention.
The said International Convention will enter into force, with respect to the People's Republic of China, on April 23, 1999. On that date, the People's Republic of China will become a member of UPOV.
For the purpose of determining its share in the total amount of the annual contributions to the budget of UPOV, one-half (0.5) of one contribution unit is applicable to the People's Republic of China.
March 23, 1999