CONFIDENTIAL
HKAH
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELNO 310
OF 280851Z FEBRUARY 89
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, HOLY SEE
161315
MDLIAN 0800
EATHE
A42.
HOLY SEE TELNOS 11 AND 13 AND HONG KONG TELNO 662.
VATICAN OFFICE IN HONG KONG.
1 WE NO LONGER HOLD THE RELEVANT 1985 PAPERS AND ARE THEREFORE
UNSIGHTED ON PREVIOUS DISCUSSION OF PROPOSALS TO OPEN A VATICAN
OFFICE IN HONG KONG. NOR CAN WE COMMENT ON THE LEGAL AND PROTOCOL
PROBLEMS SUCH AN OFFICE WOULD POSE FOR HKG.
2. WE DO NOT (NOT) THINK THAT THE CHINESE WOULD RAISE MAJOR
OBJECTIONS TO THE EXISTENCE OF A VATICAN OFFICE IN HONG KONG
BEFORE 1997. DESPITE SOME MANOEUVRING LAST YEAR, RELATIONS
BETWEEN THE VATICAN AND PEKING REMAIN DEADLOCKED OVER THE VATICAN'S
RECOGNITION OF THE R O C, AND WE AGREE THAT THE CURRENT PROPOSAL IN NO WAY IMPLIES ''DE-RECOGNITION'' CHONG KONG T U R PARA 5). HOWEVER, BEARING IN MIND THE SIZE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC POPULATION IN HONG KONG AND THE RECENT ELEVATION OF CARDINAL WU, WE SEE POSSIBLE ADVANTAGE IN BREAKING THE LINK WITH THE TAIPEI NUNCIATURE BEFORE 1997. THE CHINESE MIGHT ALSO WELCOME THIS, AS WELL AS THE CREATION OF AN ADDITIONAL CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION TO THE VATICAN
IN HONG KONG.
3. THE CHINESE RESPONSE WOULD PROBABLY DEPEND ON THE STATUS OF THE PROPOSED OFFICE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE ALREADY DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN HONG KONG OF STATES WHICH ARE NOT IN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE P R C (E.G. SOUTH KOREA AND ISRAEL), THE CHINESE WOULD BE SENSITIVE ABOUT THE GRANTING OF PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES TO A NEW OFFICE. THEY WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY SEE SUCH ACTION AS DESIGN TO SECURE THE CONTINUATION OF PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES AFTER 1997. THUS FROM THE CHINESE POINT OF VIEW, THE LESS WE CAN GET AWAY WITH GIVING THE VATICAN BY WAY OF FORMAL STATUS, PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES THE BETTER.
4. IN RETURNING TO THE VATICAN WE SUGGEST THAT WE EXPLAIN IN DETAIL THE DIFFICULTIES IDENTIFIED IN HONG KONG T U R AND EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICE ON A LESS
1
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