TNAG-0365-FCO40-411-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-international-organisations-1973 — Page 104

IMMEDIATE CYPHER/CAT A

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FM HONG KONG 030900Z

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TOP

NUK)

REF.

(3)

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 365 OF 3RD APRIL, 1973. INFO PRIORITY PEKING, TOKYO AND BANGKOK.

GEORGE'S LETTER SCR 32/66 11 OF 9TH FEBRUARY TO HERVEY: HONG KONG

AND ECAFE.

WE ARE CONSIDERING HOW TO BRIEF OUR DELEGATION ABOUT THE

POSSIBILITY OF THE CHINESE COMMENTING IN ECAFE ON THE STATUS OF

HONG KONG OR ITS REPRESENTATION AT TOKYO.

2. HONG KONG'S ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP IS ENSHRINED IN ECAFE'S TERMS

OF REFERENCE. ITS STATUS AS A DEPENDENCY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM IS

NOT HOWEVER SPELLED OUT THERE. AT FIRST SIGHT THEREFORE CHINA WOULD

BE LIKELY TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THE STATUS OF HONG KONG EITHER

FOR THE RECORD ON GENERAL POLITICAL GROUNDS OR BECAUSE SHE WAS

FORCED INTO DEFINING HER POSITION BY THE ACTION OF ANOTHER MEMBER OF ECAFE (E.G. THE SOVIET UNION). WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD

SAY URGENTLY WHETHER YOU KNOW OF OTHER, E.G. U.N. GROUNDS ON

WHICH CHINA MIGHT BASE SUCH A COMMENT.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

FED

HK IOD

SIR E NORRIS

MR WILFORD

CONFIDENTIAL