CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 850
OF 200657Z MARCH 92
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
HICC 031/TS ST
011177
MDHIAN 7552
3
INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, PEKING
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см
اعلم
YRTELNO 524: IRO SUB-GROUP: MULTILATERAL TREATIES: SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
1.
THANK YOU FOR TUR WHICH ARRIVED ON 19 MARCH, JUST BEFORE WE WERE ABOUT TO HAND OVER THE FOUR PAPERS ON ITEMS 18.5, 18.6, 18.7 AND 21.3. WE RECEIVED YOUR FAX ON 20 MARCH AND WILL MAKE
NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO THE PAPER ON ITEM 18.4 AND HAND IT OVER
TO THE CHINESE SIDE.
2. WE NOTE YOUR COMMENT IN PARA 2 OF TUR AND THEREFORE WILL NOT
MAKE ANY REFERENCE IN OUR PAPER TO ANY SUCH CONSIDERATION.
3. WE ARE DISAPPOINTED BY YOUR COMMENTS IN PARA 3 OF TUR. WE HAVE
NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WHICH WE FEEL COULD READILY IMPROVE THE
BENEFIT SECTIONS OF THE FIVE PAPERS. IF HOWEVER YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO CONSIDER AND INCORPORATE. BUT IF WE DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU BY 23 MARCH, WE PLAN TO HAND OVER THE PAPERS AS THEY NOW STAND.
4. WITH REFERENCE TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT GENERAL BENEFIT, WE WOULD POINT OUT THAT HONG KONG, AS A PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, COULD BE SAID TO RECEIVE THE GENERAL BENEFIT OF THE CONVENTION JUST AS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE UK DOES. SUCH A BENEFIT SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS IRRELEVANT.
5. WE HAVE KEPT THE BENEFIT SECTION OF THE PAPER ON THE TREATY ON PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF STATES IN THE EXPLORATION
AND USE OF OUTER SPACE INCLUDING THE MOON AND OTHER CELESTIAL
BODIES 1967 BRIEF SINCE THE PRC IS A PARTY TO THE TREATY. WE DO NOT THEREFORE EXPECT THE CHINESE TO CAUSE DIFFICULTY OVER THE APPLICATION OF THIS TREATY TO HK AFTER 1997. BUT IF THEY DO QUESTION US ABOUT THE BENEFIT OF THE TREATY TO HONG KONG WE WILL, OF COURSE, PROVIDE ANSWERS.
WILSON
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