2
participates
e.g. the Asian
Development Bank, the Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and
the International Maritime Organization. There are still
about 100 treaties left for discussion, even though the
British side handed over to the Chinese side papers on them,
in most cases a considerable time ago.
4.
Moreover, there has been little progress in
determining the method by which the two sides must ensure the
continued application of the multilateral treaties to which
China is not a party. The British side put forward detailed
proposals on this question in early 1989 but, despite further
efforts
in the
sensitivities, it
to a conclusion.
meantime on our part to meet Chinese
has not been possible to bring the matter
without agreement on such a mechanism,
treaties to which China is not a party will no longer apply
to Hong Kong after 1 July 1997 and in the run up to that date
there will be increasing uncertainty and confusion in the
international community as to Hong Kong's future position in
regard to these treaties.
I should now like to turn to the question of Bilateral
Agreements
5.
Over the years the UK also extended a large network
of bilateral agreements to Hong Kong in a variety of
practical areas, for example, air services, extradition,
investment promotion and protection, enforcement of judgments
in civil and commercial matters, and visa abolition. In
addition, Hong Kong has benefitted from its inclusion within
various effective informal Commonwealth Schemes for the
surrender of fugitive offenders and the recognition
enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters.
and
On
1 July 1997 all these agreements and arrangements will automatically lapse.