CODE
18-77
Reference
Mr Seaton FED
CHK
HKC012/5
30 Ark 1999
RIDADX
10
BRIAN WROBEL: HK/CHINA LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXCHANGES
1. Please refer to Mr Wye's minute of 20 April. Mr Wrobel called on me on 24 April to discuss these same plans.
2. I outlined the contacts which already exist between Hong Kong and China in the legal and administrative fields (briefly, an embryonic series of legal exchanges between the Attorney General's Chambers and the Ministry of Justice; and visits by groups of Chinese Government servants to Hong Kong the last being that headed by Guo Fengmin in May 1989). Although both areas of activity had been curtailed by the 4 June events last year, we hoped to work them up again in coming months. I also explained that the JLG often operated
means of educating the Chinese about how Hong Kong works: the detailed papers we hand over on a number of subjects are read by Chinese civil servants in the relevant government departments. Finally I referred to various reports of academics in Hong Kong wishing to promote information about the Basic Law and how it will interact with other Hong Kong law.
3. I reiterated that we would have no funds to assist Mr Wrobel in his plans. But, we would not of course want to stand in the way of any efforts to improve knowledge in China about Hong Kong law and administration and vice versa.
4. It seemed clear that Mr Wrobel is determined to pursue his project. If he was going to visit Hong Kong, it seemed sensible to put him in touch with some useful interlocutors. We agreed that if he decided to go, I would contact relevant individuals in HKG and suggest he might call on them briefly (I had in mind, but did not mention to him, those in Constitutional Affairs Branch who are responsible for the two exchanges mentioned above and Mr Perry Keller in the Attorney General Chambers who specialises in Chinese law).
P A Major
Hong Kong Department WH305 270 2655
27 April 1990
CC:
Mr Wye, Research Department Mr Paul, HKD o/r