Gh 215
SECRET
SECRET.
HKR 040/1
NO. 51
FM HONG KONG 100335Z JAN 79
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 68 OF 10 JANUARY
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
OFFICER
PA
по
TOP
REG TRY
Action Take:
32 1978
32
1978
PEKING TELNO 16 TO FCO: NEW TERRITORIES LEASES.
1.
ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE JOINT HONG KONG/PEKING DRAFT AND MAY NOT BE STRICTLY NECESSARY IN LEGAL TERMS, I SEE
SOME ADVANTAGE IN INCORPORATING AN EXPLICIT REFERENCE TO VARYING EXISTING LEASES. RATHER THAN TRANSFER THE TEXT OF PARAGRAPH 3 FROM ANNEX B OF MY LETTER OF 21 DECEMBER INTO ANNEX A, IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO ADD A SENTENCE TO THE END OF PARAGRAPH 2 OF ANNEX A ON THE FOLLOWING LINES :
QUOTE THE GOVERNOR, BY AND WITH THE ADVICE OF THE LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL, SHALL MAKE PROVISION FOR THE CONVERSION LEASES OF CROWN LAND IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WHICH HAVE BEEN GRANTED FOR SPECIFIED
TERMS INTO LEASES OF INDETERMINATE LENGTH, UNQUOTE.
''
2. SINCE VARYING THE TERMS OF EXISTING LEASES IS, IN PRACTICE,
THE STEP WE WILL FIRST TAKE, A SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO IT IN THE ORDER IN COUNCIL WILL HELP TO MAKE CLEAR LOCALLY WHAT WE ARE DOING. I THINK IT MAY ALSO HELP IN EXPLAINING THE PURPOSE OF THE
ORDER TO THE CHINESE.
:
3. 1 NOTE WHAT THE AMBASSADOR SAYS ABOUT THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPH
11(A) AND (B) AND PARAGRAPH 14 OF MY LETTER OF 21 DECEMBER. HE IS IN THE BEST POSITION TO JUDGE ON THESE MATTERS. IN LIGHT OF HIS COMMENTS I WOULD NOT WISH TO PRESS MY ORIGINAL VIEWS.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HK & GD (6)
FED
MR.CORTAZZI
SECRET
7
3