CONFIDENTIAL
26887
1
OBJECTION TO ADDITION OF TAXES' (SEE ARTICLE 50(1) OF
VCCR).
5. PARA 1(6): NO OBJECTION TO
'INSPECTION' (WHICH IS IN FACT
USED IN ARTICLE 50(3) OF VCCR).
6. PARA 2: HONG KONG WILL PRESUMABLY BE COMMENTING ON THE
POINTS IN PARAS 6,7 AND 11 OF PEKING TELNO 1033.
7. FINAL PARA: THE UNDERSTANDING SHOULD BE BETWEEN THE
BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS RATHER THAN THE CHINESE
CONSULAR DEPARTMENT AND THE BRITISH EMBASSY. WE WOULD
THEREFORE PREFER TO DELETE ALL WORDS FROM 'IF THE ABOVE'
TO 'NORTHERN IRELAND IN CHINA', AND INSERT IF THE ABOVE PROPOSALS ARE ACCEPTABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED
KINGDOM, THIS NOTE AND THE EMBASSY'S REPLY TO THAT EFFECT
WILL CONSTITUTE AN UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TWO
GOVERNMENTS ON THIS MATTER'.
8. IMMUNITY FOR COURIERS (PARAS 8 AND 10 OF PEKING TELNO
1033): IS SEEMS TO US THAT HONG KONG'S DRAFT LEGISLATION (HONG KONG TELNO 1503 OF 11 OCTOBER) MEETS THE CHINESE CONCERNS ON THIS POINT. (ARTICLE 35 (5) AND (6) OF VCCR AS MODIFIED BY SECTION 3(2) OF THE DRAFT ORDINANCE WOULD GIVE IMMUNITY TO 'VISA OFFICE COURIERS', WHICH IS
PRESUMABLY WHAT THE CHINESE MEAN WHEN THEY SAY 'DIPLOMATIC COURIERS GOING TO THE VISA OFFICE'). WE WOULD NOT OBJECT
TO THE INSERTION OF AN ADDITIONAL SUB-PARA IN PARAGRAPH 1
OF TEXT OF UNDERSTANDING, AND SUGGEST FOLLOWING WORDING:
IMMUNITY FOR ITS COURIERS TO THE EXTENT WHICH WOULD BE
ACCORDED UNDER PARAGRAPHS 5 AND 6 OF ARTICLE 35 OF THE
VIENNA CONVENTION ON CONSULAR RELATIONSIF THOSE COURIERS
WERE CONSULAR COURIERS'.
?
THIS MIGHT BE ADDED AS NEW SUB-PARA 1(3) AFTER EXISTING SUB-PARA 1(2). GRATEFUL FOR HONG KONG'S VIEWS ON THESE
POINTS.
HOWE
LIMITED
PS/ MR LUCE
HKD
PS/ PUS
NTD
FED
PROTOCOL D
CONSULAR D
MR DONALD
LORD N. GORDON LENNOX
MR GIFFARD
L- CONFIDENTIAL
COPIES TO
MR. WHOMERSLEY,
LEGAL ADV.