CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
Ра
14
HkB 380/3.
Ms Barrett, Legal Advisers
Mr Soper, ERD
Mr Seaton, FED
Mr Broom, UND
Ms McMurtrie, NTCD
No
comment?
HONG KONG: COOPERATION WITH CHINA ON CRIMINAL MATTERS
I attach a draft submission on this subject and should be grateful for any comments/clearance by Friday 30 August please. I would be pleased to have any comments from Ms Nicholson at the Home Office.
1.
2.
With regard to Hong Kong's intention to negotiate Mutual Legal Assistance agreements with a series of countries and then China, HKG have advised me they appreciate that to provide administrative arrangements now may undermine their eventual position. But this aspect was fully debated in the Executive Council (Hong Kong's Cabinet) when it decided to proceed.
3.
For Ms Barrett, Legal Advisers, if you agree I would propose to include only the first 2 paragraphs of your advice in your minute of 19 August. The remainder of your minute deals with separate questions I asked or, I think, is covered elsewhere in the submission, save for MLA agreements.
Do you consider they should be covered in the submission?
Nill ustere
CODE 18-77
M V Stone
Hong Kong Department
WH304
270 2651
28 August 1991
CC:
Ms B Nicholson, C7 Division Home Office Mr Riordan, HKD
DUNAHN CC
CONFIDENTIAL