布政司署
香港下亞厘畢道
CONFIDENTIAL
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
MON DRO
18
**OUR REF.: SCR 9/1162/86
來函檔號 YOUR REF.:
A. M. Layden, Esq.
HKD, FCO
Lakk 201 Liv
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
Dew Author
L
INLLA
12 DEC 1986
OFFICER
PA
2nd December, 1986
in Smith
(1 discurs in this fefor. Ir as necesser)
REGISTRY Action Taken
mek.
10/12
Possible Hong Kong/Japan Cultural Agreement
Kapia 11/1
Things have moved on since my letter of 5 August and we are now, subject to ExCo, on the verge of reaching an agreement with the Japanese.
The Japanese have proved rather sticky on the points highlighted in my previous letter. It has been plain throughout that they do not want to depart too far from their model text for fear of creating problems for themselves in the future in negotiations with other countries. However, the two amendments that Ito floated with me (paragraph 5 of my letter under reference) and one or two other minor changes have led to a text (enclosed herewith) which we now think we could live with.
The text is not ideal. But the Japanese have agreed orally that where it refers to "the Government of Hong Kong or the University of Hong Kong as its designated authority" it will in fact be the university that fulfils the obligation. Similarly, they have agreed that the "competent authority" in Clause 5 will again be the University of Hong Kong (or, in subsequent years, another institution of education). We have discussed the project and the text of the agreement with the institutions and they seem ready to go along with it. propose, however, to have a written understanding with the institution concerned in each year to make it plain that the obligations set out in the agreement are to be fulfilled by the institution and not by the government.
Provided ExCo are content we should be able to conclude this agreement fairly soon so that it can be implemented in FY 1987/88. Assuming it is a success, Japanese intend in the next year to have an agreement providing
the
CONFIDENTIAL