>
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY Q DIST?
16
103465
MDLIAN 5738
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 2433
OF 02084OZ OCTOBER 92
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
ra
JLG RESTRICTED
is
YOUR TELNO 1208: MULTILATERAL TREATIES: TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
1.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPLYING ALL THE INFORMATION REQUESTED. WE HAVE TODAY HANDED OVER TO THE CHINESE SIDE TWO PAPERS (ITEMS 19.1 AND 19.7) AND AN EXPLANATORY NOTE ON ITEM 19.8. AS SUGGESTED IN PARA 2 OF TUR, WE HAVE PROPOSED TO THE CHINESE SIDE THAT CONSIDERATION OF ITEM 19.8 SHOULD BE DEFERRED.
2.
PARA 3 OF TUR: WE HAVE NOT HANDED OVER THE EXPLANATORY NOTE ON ITEMS 19.2 AND 19.2(1) AS THESE ITEMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DELETED IN THE LATEST LIST OF MULTILATERAL TREATIES HANDED OVER TO THE CHINESE SIDE ON 8 JUNE. HOWEVER, WE SHALL PREPARE DEFENSIVE MATERIAL ON THE REASONS FOR DELETION OF THESE ITEMS. WE HAVE ALSO REFLECTED ON YOUR POINT ABOUT THE NEED TO INFORM THE DEPOSITORY OF THOSE TREATIES WHICH WE HAVE DECIDED MAY LAPSE. OUR PRELIMINARY VIEW IS THAT IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO TAKE ANY ACTION AT THIS STAGE, GIVEN THAT THE TREATIES WILL CONTINUE TO APPLY TO HONG KONG UNTIL 1 JULY 1997. ONCE WE HAVE AGREED WITH THE CHINESE SIDE ON A PRACTICAL MECHANISM FOR THE CONTINUED APPLICATION OF IRO'S WE SHALL THEN CONSIDER IF ANY ADDITIONAL ACTION IS NECESSARY TO CLARIFY THE POSITION OF THOSE TREATIES WHICH IT IS INTENDED SHOULD LAPSE IN RESPECT OF HONG KONG AFTER 30 JUNE 1997.
PATTEN
YYYY
HKC 031/20
28
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL