CODE 18-77
SS 8/78
Mr Edgar HKGD
CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
ReRpl.
HKG 201/1
No
८६८
åla
се
ISA
HONG KONG: ATTENDANCE AT THE ASIAN PACIFIC POSTAL UNION (APPU)
15
1.
We spoke. As a follow-up to Wellington telno 263 I asked DOI to let me have in draft their letter to the Secretariat of the APPU requesting observer status on behalf of the British Ensemble of Overeeas Territories (BOTAS). I also asked to see in draft their telex to the Hong Kong postal authorities. These are now attached.
2. Hong Kong's telno 920 says that they are prepared to drop the idea of attending the APPU Executive Council meeting but wished to have established as a principle the proposal of observer status for the BOTAS. I think that one way to do this would be as in DOI's draft letter to the APPU to seek observer status on behalf of the BOTAS and then to mention that, if this were agreed by the member countries, Brunei alone would pronose attending. By omitting Hong Kong we may run less risk of the PRC continuing to make waves and if the APPU members agree on this occasion to observer status the principle will have been established.
3. If you agree to the foregoing vou may nonetheless wish to clear this line with Hong Kong. I therefore attach a draft telegram and also a revised draft letter to the APPU.
31 August 1982
Caly
DT HEALY
Energy, Science and Space Department E012 233 5518
cc Mr Cox, FED
CONFIDENTIAL
(16)