A
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 280
OF 01173OZ FEBRUARY 90
INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
075665
MDHOAN 2258
ng HKE TO filo
German
Olyfetians.
HONG KONG/CANADA
1.
THE DIRECTOR OF THE NORTH ASIA RELATIONS DIVISION IN THE CANADIAN DEA, HOWARD BALLOCH, CALLED ON THE HEAD OF THE HONG KONG DEPARTMENT TODAY. BALLOCH IS ACCOMPANYING THE
ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER IN CHARGE OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC, JEAN MCCLUSKIE, ON A VISIT TO LONDON, HONG KONG AND PEKING.
2.
BALLOCK SAID THAT CANADA WAS KEEN TO THICKEN UP ITS RELATIONS
WITH HONG KONG AND SAW VALUE IN DOING SO IN TERMS OF BOOSTING LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE. HE MENTIONED FOUR AREAS IN WHICH CANADA MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP:
A) PERMITTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HONG KONG OFFICE IN TORONTO WITH NORMAL CONSULAR PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES:
B) NEGOTIATING BILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH HONG KONG IN SUCH
FIELDS AS DOUBLE TAXATION, MUTUAL LEGAL SYSTEMS ETC:
C) PROMOTING HONG KONG PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS (THEY ARE KEEN TO HELP OVER APC FOR EXAMPLE):
D) ESTABLISHING A PROGRAMME OF OFFICIAL EXCHANGES AT SECONDMENTS
IN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED WITH AREAS IN WHICH CANADA AND HONG KONG HAVE MUTUAL INTERESTS (EG TRADE, SHIPPING ETC).
3. BALLOCH SAID THAT MRS MCCLUSKIE WOULD BE DISCUSSING THESE IDEAS IN DETAIL IN THE COURSE OF HER VISIT TO HONG KONG AND THAT SHE WOULD BE MENTIONING THEM IN MORE GENERAL TERMS IN THE COURSE
OF THE VISIT TO PEKING.
4. PAUL WELCOMED THESE IDEAS. HE OUTLINED THE WORK THAT HAD BEEN TAKING PLACE IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP ABOUT INTER ALIA HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS. HE SUGGESTED THAT THE PROPOSALS WOULD NEED TO BE CAREFULLY PRESENTED TO THE
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
E