RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 470
OF 25060OZ MARCH 93
RESTRICTED
GB
R
TORCOPY QODIST?
GISTRY
on Tak
36
1T1465 MDHIAN 4793
FOR MORRIS, HKD FROM PA
LETTER TO MR GOODLAD FROM MR ANTHONY NELSON, MP.
•
1. WE WOULD NOT WANT TO BE TOO EXPANSIVE ON THE SUBJECT OF CONSCRIPTION, BECAUSE AS YOU ARE NO DOUBT AWARE FROM THE RECORD OF DISCUSSIONS PRIOR TO THE JD, THE CHINESE REJECTED OUR PROPOSAL FOR JD147 WHICH WOULD HAVE INCLUDED AN EXPLICIT STATEMENT THAT PERSONS WITH THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE HKSAR SHOULD NOT BE LIABLE FOR MILITARY SERVICE. ALTHOUGH ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE CHINESE SAID THAT IT WAS NOT THE INTENTION OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT NECESSARILY TO CONSCRIPT PEOPLE IN THE SAR THEY ALWAYS REFUSED TO HAVE THIS WRITTEN DOWN IN BLACK AND WHITE.
2. ON THE OTHER HAND THE CHINESE ALSO, IN THE CONTEXT OF TALKING ABOUT NATIONAL LAWS THAT WOULD NOT/NOT BE APPLIED TO THE SAR, REFERRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO THE CONSCRIPTION LAW AS AN EXAMPLE. AND, INDEED, THIS IS NOT INCLUDED IN ANNEX 3 OF THE BASIC LAW. OUR ONLY SUGGESTION FOR AN ADDITION TO YOUR DRAFT REPLY MIGHT THEREFORE BE TO EXTEND THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARA 3 SO THAT IT READS ..18 AND 22: AND THE CHINESE NATIONAL LAW GOVERNING CONSCRIPTION IS NOT ONE OF THE LAWS LISTED IN THE BASIC LAW AS APPLYING TO HONG KONG AFTER 1997'.
PATTEN
T
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
11
HKD
HKD//MORRIS
PS/MR GOODLAD
DISTRIBUTION
11
1
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