Kevin Cullen
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Reference
ние azli 012/1
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-7 JAN 1992
IN
A
RISTRY
Ten
Commonwealth Coordination Dept
Ки
W
FUTURE OF HONG KONG'S LINKS WITH THE COMMONWEALTH
1. The Hong Kong Government sent us the attached paper which examines this question in some detail and sets out in a series of Annexes the nature of existing links as well as suggested future arrangements. I should be grateful for your thoughts on the action (or lack of it) which they are proposing, and whether you think there is any particular aspect which should be drawn to the Executive Council's attention.
2.
The paper seems to us to cover the ground pretty thoroughly, and its approach seems sensible. We agree that there can be no question of continuing links at government level beyond June 1997, and we also agree with the judgement that it would be counterproductive to raise this issue with the Chinese. Certain areas (eg the reciprocal legal arrangements set out in Annex E) will require consultation with the Chinese Government in due course. Are you aware of any others?
3. One area which it strikes us could attract unwelcome publicity is the possiblity of informal links with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Some Association members, unlike their Secretariat, may be unaware of the sensitivity of the issue and want to intervene in some way on behalf of Hong Kong. The War Graves could be another high-profile issue, but there the proposed arrangements look quite uncontroversial.
4. The paper notes (in para 8) that the FCO should be consulted "on a need basis." We will remind Hong Kong to keep us
generally in the picture, but are there any specific points to which you would want to be alerted?
K. Saunders
KAM Saunders
Hong Kong Department
WH 311
270 3544
4 January 1993
a.
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