RESTRICTED
122423
MDTTAN 3780
CHINESE SIDE AT THE GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL. NEVERTHELESS, AS YOU SUGGESTED, IT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR THE HONG KONG BRANCH AT SOME STAGE TO SEEK 'WHATEVER NOMINAL AFFILIATION TO THE CHINESE RED CROSS WAS REQUIRED BY THE RED CROSS'S OWN RULES' IN ORDER TO
ENSURE ITS CONTINUED OPERATION BEYOND 1997.
4. GIVEN ITS STATUS AS A BODY CORPORATE UNDER HONG KONG LAW, THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTINUED OWNERSHIP OF ITS
ASSETS BY THE HONG KONG BRANCH.
TIMING
5. WE ALSO AGREE WITH PARA 4 OF YOUR TELELETTER AS REGARDS
AND TACTICS FOR AN APPROACH BY THE BRITISH RED CROSS OR HKRC TO
THE CHINESE RED CROSS. WE ADVISED LADY LIMERICK AND THE INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE BRITISH RED CROSS, GEOFFREY DENNIS, ALONG SIMILAR LINES YESTERDAY WHEN THEY CALLED ON US TO DISCUSS THE SAME QUESTION. LADY LIMERICK, WHILE AGREEING WITH THE SUGGESTED APPROACH, SAID THAT SHE HAD LAST WEEK BROACHED THE SUBJECT WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE CHINESE RED CROSS DR GU
YINGQI WHO SAID THAT THE CHINESE RED CROSS HAD NOT YET DISCUSSED
THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE OF THE HONG KONG RED CROSS. IN ADDITION, LADY LIMERICK WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE HONG KONG RED CROSS WOULD BE OBLIGED, UNDER THE
'GENEVA CONVENTIONS' TO WHICH CHINA IS A SIGNATORY TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY RELIEF OR ASSISTANCE TO THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PRC IF CALLED UPON TO DO SO BY THE CHINESE RED CROSS. WE SAID THAT THAT WOULD PROBABLY DEPEND ON THE RULES GOVERNING WHATEVER RELATIONSHIP WAS SET UP BETWEEN THE CHINESE RED CROSS AND THE HONG KONG BRANCH. THOSE RULES SHOULD HAVE REGARD TO BL 148. SHE SAID SHE WOULD RESEARCH/CONSULT FURTHER ON THIS BACK IN THE UK
AND WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH US AGAIN IF NECESSARY.
SIGNED: PETER LAI
YYYY
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