FH Jackson aq British Embassy Vienna
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CONFIDENTIAL
93008440 Ext 144
Farreje
UN 47/12
7 Farch 1973
HONG KONG AND THE UN
1. Thank you for your letter of 25 January, 102/8. We are constantly discovering new points on which the Chinese may take umbrage at us as a consequence of our differing positions on the status of Hong Kong, and we are grateful to you for drawing_our attention to the questions of technical assistance to Hong Kong Chinese and their acceptability for UN(IDC) ~taff Fosts. The fect of the matter on these and similer issues is that we simply do not know which bones will stick in the Chinese gullet and which they will swallow grɛcefully. In vew of the delicacy sud importance of our relations with China we are perhaps erring on the side of caution; but the Chinese are themselves acting cautiously as they feel their way into the UR system. Our general view therefore is that in matters of practical cooperation at the technical level we need make little change to the opportunities which Hong Kong enjoys; but that we should take a good deal of trouble to avoid flaunting our view of Hong Kong before the Chinese, especially when no important British or Hong Kong interests are at stake.
2.
On this basis we entirely agree with the line taken in your paragraph 5, relating to technical assistance from the IAFA.
3.
with reference to your para raph 4, I think it may be helpful if I begin by outlining for compl. teness make our policy towards UN Staffing as a whole. as you know, the quota system for UN taffing works across the board, and on this basis the UK is over representod, largely as a hang-over from early UN days. We therefore have a rigid approach to the question of candidates whom we can support for UN jobs. We cannot of course prevent any candidate from applying (including those from dependent territories). However, our policy is to support:
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