RESTRICTED
нисого/з
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Pa
015517
MDLIAN 0188
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1476
OF 130514Z MAY 91
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
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PEKING TELNO 654: TAIPEI TRADE CENTRE IN HONG KONG
.
1 WE NOTE YOUR COMMENTS ON THE PERFUNCTORY NATURE AND RELATIVELY JUNIOR LEVEL OF THE CHINESE DEMARCHE ON THIS SUBJECT. ALSO THAT THEY DID NOT ASK US TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRADE CENTRE BUT WARNED AGAINST FUTURE SUCH OCCURRENCES. THERE MAY IN FACT BE ONE,
IF PLANS FOR A HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE PACIFIC FOUNDATION MATERIALISE (OUR TELNO 2269 OF 19 JULY 1990 REFERS). WE WILL LOOK OUT FOR THIS.
2. RIORDAN WAS OF COURSE RIGHT TO REFER TO HMG'S COMMITMENTS MADE IN 1972. HOWEVER IF THE CHINESE RETURN TO THIS SUBJECT, HE MIGHT MAKE THE FOLLOWING FURTHER POINTS:
A. THE TRADE CENTRE IS A PRIVATE ORGANISATION WITH NO OFFICIAL
STATUS, IMMUNITIES OR PRIVILEGES.
B. ITS STAFF ARE IN THE EYES OF THE LAW AND OF HKG THE SAME AS THE
MANY OTHER TAIWANESE BUSINESSMEN WHO WORK IN HONG KONG.
C. HKG WOULD NOT PERMIT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICE WHICH LAID
CLAIM TO ANY OFFICIAL FUNCTION OR STATUS.
3. FOR YOUR INFORMATION THE REGISTRATION POINT CONTAINS A POTENTIAL AWKWARDNESS. AFTER THE NCNA HAD APPROACHED US, AND BEFORE THE CENTRE OPENED, EXHAUSTIVE SEARCHES WERE MADE AND TURNED UP NO APPLICATION BY THE CENTRE TO REGISTER AS A SOCIETY, COMPANY OR BUSINESS. ON THIS BASIS, WE TOLD NCNA WE COULD FIND NO APPLICATION TO REGISTER. IN FACT, HOWEVER, THE APPLICATION HAD BEEN MADE LAST OCTOBER ('BEST POLICY INVESTMENT LTD.'). WE DISCOVERED THIS ONLY AFTER THE CENTRE HAD OPENED. IT IS ENTIRELY LEGAL. THE COMPANY HAD SAID THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT WOULD BE KNOWN BY THE NAME OF TAIPEI TRADE CENTRE, BUT SINCE THE APPLICANT'S NAME BORE NO RELATION TO IT, THIS HAD NOT BEEN DISCOVERED AT FIRST IN OUR SEARCHES.
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