A
HONG KONG STUDY
ANNEX H
EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Present Position
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1. The United Kingdom, as the metropolitan power,
responsibility for Hong Kong's external relations.
has
The
Hong Kong Government, being that of a dependent territory,
has no capacity of its own to conduct external relations
unless specifically entrusted with authority to do so by
HMG.
2.
In the exercise of its responsibility the United
Kingdom has entered into a considerable number of inter-
national agreements (either bilateral or multi-lateral)
that extend to Hong Kong and HMG are under an obligation
to ensure their due performance.
agreements are attached.
A list of some of these
3. Where the terms of an international agreement extending
to Hong Kong have necessitated its implementation in the
municipal law of Hong Kong, legislative provision for this
purpose has been made either by means of a UK Order in
Council or an Ordinance of the local legislature, so that
it may be generally assumed that the law of Hong Kong is
in conformity with existing international obligations.
Because the UK's interests and those of Hong Kong do
not always coincide in this field the Hong Kong Government
/is in
4.
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