畢道
布政司署
香港下亞
* OUR REF.: CR 24/5691/74
* Your Ref.:
J W B Richards Esq
British Embassy PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
228
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
16 September, 1978
RAR
HKK 020/1
BALINED
PRAY MO. 51
4778
OFFICER
RECISTRY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
ESCAP WORKSHOP ON SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE INDUSTRY IN CHINA
I am not sure if you will have heard of a proposed ESCAP workshop to be held in China from 21 October to 4 November. I enclose a copy of the project document, together with the covering letter sent by UNDP to our Economic Services Branch (covering letter only to copy addressees).
2.
In
We understand that this proposed workshop is probably one of the first joint ESCAP functions hosted by China since she joined ESCAP in the early 1970s. It is interesting that Hong Kong has been invited since the usual ESCAP practice when organising such functions is to consult the host country before issuing invitations. In this case we are not interested in the subject of the project and will not be nominating participants. It seems slightly odd that we should be asked by UNDP to endorse the project. reply to the UNDP letter we shall say that we support the purposes of the project but that, in view of Hong Kong's status, we are not clear whether it would be appropriate for Hong Kong to be one of the "at least three countries" whose endorsement is necessary for formal approval of the project. We should be grateful for any background or comments which you, or copy addressees, may be able to offer on the extension of the invitation to Hong Kong. More generally, we are of course interested in Chinese policy on invitations to meetings, particularly when held in China, organised under the auspices of UN-related bodies. have to look carefully at invitations to attend meetings and particularly at suggestions sometimes made for meetings to be held in Hong Kong. If you would find it useful, I could send you in due course a summary of the basis on which we decide how far we should become involved in such meetings. However, when so far as there are changes in Chinese practice, particularly concerning their interest in making greater use of Hong Kong in the service of modernisation,
/contd.....
CONFIDENTIAL
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