IMMEDIATE CYPHER/CAT A
GPS 180
FM HONG KONG 030900Z
CONFIDENTIAL
[PANISTAN » CONFIDENTIAL
- SAP 1773
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HKKW/1
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TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 365 OF 3RD APRIL, 1973. INFO PRIORITY PEKING, TOKYO AND BANGKOK.
GEORGE'S LETTER SCR 32/66 11 OF 9TH FEBRUARY TO HERVEY: HONG KONG
AND ECAFE.
WE ARE CONSIDERING HOW TO BRIEF OUR DELEGATION ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY OF THE CHINESE COMMENTING IN ECAFE ON THE STATUS OF
HONG KONG OR ITS REPRESENTATION AT TOKYO.
2. HONG KONG'S ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP IS ENSHRINED IN ECAFE'S TERMS
OF REFERENCE. ITS STATUS AS A DEPENDENCY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM IS
NOT HOWEVER SPELLED OUT THERE. AT FIRST SIGHT THEREFORE CHINA WOULD
BE LIKELY TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE STATUS OF HONG KONG EITHER
FOR THE RECORD ON GENERAL POLITICAL GROUNDS OR BECAUSE SHE WAS
FORCED INTO DEFINING HER POSITION BY THE ACTION OF ANOTHER MEMBER OF ECAFE (E.G. THE SOVIET UNION). WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD
SAY URGENTLY WHETHER YOU KNOW OF OTHER, E.G. U.N. GROUNDS ON
WHICH CHINA MIGHT BASE SUCH A COMMENT.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
FED
HK IOD
SIR E NORRIS
MR WILFORD
CONFIDENTIAL