Royal Institute of Public Administration
Improving Public Service
International Services
Director: Jennifer A. Barnes
RIPA
Regent's College, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, London NW1 4NS Telephone: 071-935 0496 Cables: PUBADMIN London Telex: 262433 Ref. No. 1983
Fax: 071-487 7746
FileNote:
26 June 1990
Subject:
HK/PRC/HK Travel P
Bran Wrobel
Itinerary:
Hongkong: Shamrock Hotel,
9-14, 19-22 July
Beijing: Beijing-Toronto Hotel
14-19 July.
1. At a meeting in Beijing in 1988 with the Secretary- General of the Commission of Legislative Affairs of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the possibility of future dialogue was discussed. I hope to follow this up in July. Moreover, I was told at the Forei ign Affairs College of the PRC Foreign Ministry that they would be interested in hearing more about basic European conceptions of human rights. I believe that the present is the right time to think of renewing contact, albeit in a way which suits the times. I hope to explore this, and to discuss in HK and Beijing whether there are training needs for government servants from either place.
2. The Hongkong and Beijing legs of the visit should be seen separately, and I have a clear interest as well in the PRC which stands aside of the Hongkong issue, as well as an interest in the affairs of Hongkong which stand aside of the 1997 changeover.
3. Nonetheless, I have seen that section 1V of the annex to the Joint Declaration provided for the continuation in Hongkong of an impartial, stable and effective public service as an essential factor in ensuring the stability and prosperity of the HK Special Administrative Region. This could suggest that training needs might apply in both directions, with government servants from each place possibly wanting in due course to know more about the other system. I realise the sensitivity of this issue.
4. The institutions which I represent are RIPA and the PHRG. The Royal Institute of Public Administration (RIPA) was
Director-General: David Falcon
1
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