GRS 550
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FUTURE EGRET
DESKBY 1311OOZ
FM HONG KONG 131007Z SEP 84
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
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TELEGRAM NUMBER 2809 OF 13 SEPTEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
MIPT FUTURE EGRET : PART 3 OF THE WHITE PAPER.
TOP COPY
MILKoud So
IIVSU IN PICS TUY
14 SEP 1984
de 114214
FOLOWING IS A REVISED VERSION OF SECTION (J) ON EXTERNAL RELATIONS.
BEGINS :
THE PART OF THE AGREEMENT DEALING WITH EXTERNAL RELATIONS PROVIDES FOR HONG KONG TO CONTINUE TO MANAGE AUTONOMOUSLY THOSE ASPECTS OF ITS EXTERNAL RELATIONS, IN PARTICULAR IN THE ECONOMIC FIELD, IN WHICH HONG KONG HAS OVER THE YEARS BEEN LEFT TO MANAGE FOR ITSELF. THIS TAKES FULL ACCOUNT OF THE FACT THAT JUST AS HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC INTERESTS, PARTICULARLY IN THE TRADE FIELD, HAVE BEEN SEPARATE FROM THOSE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, SO THEY WILL BE SEPARATE FROM THOSE OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AFTER HONG KONG BECOMES A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PRC ON 1 JULY 1997. THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT, SINCE HONG KONG'S ACCESS TO ITS PRINCIPAL OVERSEAS MARKETS IN THE INDUSTRIALISED WORLD, ON WHICH HONG KONG'S INDUSTRY IS HEAVILY DEPENDENT, DEPENDS UPON RECOGNITION OF THE SEPARATE NATURE OF THESE INTERESTS.
2. IN KEEPING WITH THE GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR HONG KONG TO BE A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION UNDER CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY, BASIC RESPONSIBILITY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS WILL LIE WITH THE CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT IN PEKING, JUST AS BASIC RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE MATTERS HAS LAID WITH HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN THE PAST. THE ARRANGEMENTS WHEREBY HONG KONG'S OWN INTERESTS IN INTER- NATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS, WHICH ARE THE ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SOVEREIGN POWER, MAY BE TAKEN CARE OF BY HONG KONG'S OWN REPRESENT- ATIVES OPERATING FROM WITHIN, THE SOVEREIGN POWERS OF THE NEGOTIA- TING TEAM WILL ALSO CONTINUE.
3. THE DETAILED METHOD BY WHICH THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH 3 OF THIS ANNEX WILL BE IMPLEMENTED WILL HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD AND WILL BE ONE OF THE TASKS FACING THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. THERE IS A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL AGREE- MENTS WHICH APPLY TO HONG KONG AND WHOSE CONTINUED APPLICATION FOLLOWING THE TRANSFER OF SOVERIEGNTY WILL NEED TO BE SECURED. THIS WILL REQUIRE CONSULTATION WITH THIRD COUNTRIES AND THERE IS EVERY REASON TO SUPPOSE THAT THEIR CO-OPERATION WILL BE FORTHCOMING. WHERE SUCH AGREEMENTS ARE BETWEEN STATES, IT WILL CLEARLY BE NECESSARY FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC TO AUTHORISE CONTINUED PARTICIPATION. WHERE HONG KONG HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF REGIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND CONFERENCES WHOSE PARTICIPATION IS NOT LIMITED TO STATES, HONG KONG WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE WITHOUT DIFFICULTY.
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