L
Mr Ma
NEX
Reference
T42518
HKK040/3
SECRET
M
2. 6 AUGIYOZ
Rambla
20
R+Bato Mr. Mom's
o/r. APZ68 CGE 26/8
Noted
without consultation with Home Depts,
which
Martip I would advise against at this stage,
Mr Morris HKGD
6/9
I Don't Hink much further than this. Mr. HeAly's views
It is possible to
I agree
with JAR Martin 24/8.
HONG KONG STUDY: EXTERNAL POSTS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND BROADCASTING
Attached
to 16
1. Please see the attached minute and enclosures.
2. I have not consulted either the Home Office or DOI about the effect of a change of sovereignty over Hong Kong. The following is based therefore on my limited experience.
3. There is, of course, political sensitivity towards colonialism within the membership of the ITU, UPU and CTO. However, the work of the organisations themselves is essentially pragmatic. Within the framework of the International Treaties and Regulations there is scope for mutual agreement and understandings to facilitate the transmission and accounting procedures for letters and parcels, international telex and telephone calls and also for the sharing of the frequencies used for broadcasting. It is generally recognised that the interests of individual territories must be adequately protected and that failure to do so could cause difficulties for other members of these organisations.
4. In his minute of 19 August Mr Watts refers to the constitutional position of Hong Kong in relation to the UPU, CTO and ITU. For the UPU and CTO, the UK signs agreements on its own behalf and also separately on behalf of the overseas dependencies. In the ITU, the UK also signed agreements separately on behalf of the dependencies until 1973 (the last Plenipotentiary Conference) when they were deprived of a separate seat.
We now sign on behalf of the UK but approve separately on behalf of the UK and of the dependencies.
5. Mr Watts also reflects upon the practical effect on Hong Kong's status of a change in sovereignty. The ITU, UPU and CTO provide for proxy voting. Thus, recently independent territories and other countries which are unable for whatever reason to attend the appropriate conferences, sometimes ask the UK to look after their interests. It is possible therefore that, with a change of sovereignty, China, or Hong Kong with China's agreement, could ask the UK to continue to negotiate on Hong Kong's behalf for a certain period. Given the pragmatism of the organisations
CODE 18-77
SECRET
/concerned,