TNAG-0138-FCO40-174-Conduct-of-Hong-Kong-commercial-relations-1969 — Page 67

CYPHER/CAT A

CONFIDENTIAL

ROUTINE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

TELEGRAM NUMBER 760

TO HONG KONG

27 NOV 69

(HKK 6/18)

TOP COPY

A

B.

CONFIDENTIAL.

M.I.P.T. TEXT AS FOLLOWS:-

BEGINS

HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS (EXCLUDING HONG KONG/UK TRADE).

A

IT IS AGREED THAT HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS SHOULD

BE CONDUCTED ON THE BASIS OF THE FOLLOWING UNDERSTANDING:

1. THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION IS THAT HMG IS REPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT OF HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL RELATIONS (INCLUDING COMMERCIAL RELATIONS): IT BEING UNDERSTOOD THAT IN KEEPING WITH ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER, THIS RESPONSIBILITY IS EXERCISED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROTECTING THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF

HONG KONG.

2. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL ACCORDINGLY KEEP HMG INFORMED FROM THE EARLIEST PRACTICABLE STAGE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF ITS EXTERNAL COMMERCIAL RELATIONS.

i

3. WHERE HMG HAVE NOT INDICATED THAT CONSIDERATIONS OF BRITISH INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL POLICY ARE INVOLVED, THE HONG KONG

SENSE, GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DETERMINING THE COURSE OF, AND FOR THE CONDUCT OF, HONG KONG'S EXTERNAL COMMERICAL RELATIONS, WITH SUCH ASSISTANCE AS IT MAY BE AGREED CAN BE FURNISHED BY HMG

OR HMG'S OVERSEAS REPRESENTATIVES.

4. WHERE HMG HAVE INDICATED THAT CONSIDERATIONS OF BRITISH INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL POLICY ARE INVOLVED, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MAYANEVERTHELESS CONTINUE, AS APPROPRIATE, AND IN FULL CONSULTATION AND ASSOCIATION WITH HMG TO EXERCISE A SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITY (ACTING WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF SUCH POLICIES AS MAY

BE AGREED WITH HMG AND IN COMFORMITY WITH TREATY OBLIGATIONS,

CONFIDENTIALA

/5. IN THE

LAST

REF.

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NE):

P다.