FDW G 258/25
{
82
HKK 04/12
TT PEKING
GRS 459
CONFIDENTIAL
TELELETTER
FROM JN POWELL, HKD
DATED 23 APRIL 85
FOLLOWING FOR T W M SMITH ESQ, PEKING COPIED TO R P MARGOLIS, DPA, HONG KONG
MISS SHEPHERD, NTD
MR I ORR, FED
MR BICKFORD, LEGAL ADVISERS
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RATIFICATION
1.
2.
70)
a
65
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TELELETTER OF 1S APRIL AND YOUR TELNO 542 WE HAVE ALREADY AUTHORISED A REPLY TO THE CHINESE ON THE DATE OF EXCHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION (PARA 1A OF TUR). WE HAVE PROPOSED TO EXCO THAT THE AMBASSDOR SHOULD TELL ZHOU NAN THAT WE AGREE THAT BRIEF SPEECHES SHOULD BE MADE AT THE RATIFICATION CEREMONY (PARA 1 (B) OF TUR). WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO JOURNALISTS BEING PRESENT AT THE CEREMONY (PARA 1 (C) OF TUR).
3. WE ARE IN GENERAL CONTENT WITH THE CHINESE DETAILED PROPOSALS FOR RATIFICATION. THE ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS IN PARA 6 ARE AS FOLLOWS:
A) WE WOULD ON THE WHOLE PREFER THE CHINESE TO APPEND THE FULL TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT TO THEIR INSTRUMENT. AS THEY HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED IT FOR SIGNATURE HOWEVER WE ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT IT IN THEIR USUAL FORM AS LONG AS THE INSTRUMENT DOES NOT ACTUALLY SAY THAT THE TEXT IS INCLUDED OR APPENDED WHEN IT IS NOT. (SOME COUNTRIES PRODUCE INSTRUMENTS WHICH SAY THAT THE TEXT OF THE AGREEMENT IS ATTACHED WHEN IN FACT IT IS NOT.)
B) WE ARE CONTENT WITH THE WORDING IN THEIR DRAFT PROTOCOL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE REFERENCE TO THE QUEEN WHICH THEY HAVE ALREADY NOTED MUST BE CHANGED TO A REFERENCE TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
C) WE ARE CONTENT THAT YOU SHOULD PREPARE THE ENGLISH TEXT OF THE PROTOCOLS. THIS IS NORMAL PRACTICE. THEY SHOULD BE TYPED ON PLAIN WHITE PAPER OF THE BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE.
4. WE ARE CONTENT WITH THE LIST OF OFFICIALS TO ATTEND THE CEREMONY PROPOSED IN PARA 7 OF YOUR TELELETTER. WE WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHO THE SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS REFERRED TO MIGHT BE. PRESUMABLY THEY WILL INCLUDE WU XUEQIAN AND JI PENGFEi.
5. ON YOUR PARA 8, ROYAL ASSENT IS CONFERRED BY THE QUEEN TO A NUMBER OF BILLS AT SAME TIME BY ONE DOCUMENT, IN THE CASE OF THE HONG KONG BILL TOGETHER WITH THE NATIONAL HERITAGE (SCOTLAND) ACT 1996, THE LERWICK HARBOR ORDER CONFIRMATION ACT ETC. THE DOCUMENT IS PRODUCED ON PARCHMENT. FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION WE ARE LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF OBTAINING A NICE COPY WHICH THE SECRETARY OF STATE MIGHT PRESENT TO WU XUEQIAN DURING ZHAO'S VISIT. FOR THE MOMENT YOU SHOULD JUST SAY THAT WE ARE LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF OBTAINING A COPY. 6. WE HOPE TO DESPATCH THE INSTRUMENT OF RATIFICATION TO YOU EARLY NEXT WEEK. IT WILL BE DATED 15 MAY, AND SHOULD ONLY BE EXCHANGED WITH THE CHINESE WHEN AUTHORISED BY TELEGRAM. IF PRESSED AGAIN BY THE CHINESE ON WHEN YOU WILL HAVE THE INSTRUMENT YOU SHOULD ONLY SAY THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED RATIFICATION IN THE WEEK BEGINNING 27 MAY.
SIGNED JN POWELL
NNNN