CPS 264
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CYPHER/CAT-A-
FM FCO 281744Z
RECAVED IN REGISTRY No.51
/OCT 1973
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ника/л
1973
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53
46
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TO ROUTINE UKMIS NEW YORK TELNO 672 OF 28/9 INFO HONG KONG AND PEKING
(41)
UKMIS NEW YORK TELS NO 868 AND 887 AND HONG KONG TELS NO 1943 AND
1960:
HONG KONG AND THE UNITED NATIONS.
IN
1. WE HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THE USE OF COUNTRY OR REGION' TO DESCRIBE HONG KONG ÎN UND DOCUMENTS AS PROPOSED BY THE CHINESE. THE USE OF THE TERM 'GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG'' CLEARLY HAS NO SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THIS CASE. (LETTER FOLLOWS TO HONG KONG IN AMPLIFICATION AND EXPLANATION).
2. THE SUGGESTION PUT FORWARD IN NEW YORK TELNO 887 THAT THE HEADING SHOULD BE ''COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES" IS HOWEVER INCONSISTENT WITH THE FORMULA PROPOSED BY THE CHINESE IN THE UNDP CONTEXT. WE ASSUME THAT THE CHINESE WANTED ''REGION'' INCLUDED BECAUSE THEY CHOOSE TO REGARD HONG KONG AS A REGION OF CHINA. IT IS NOT CLEAR TO US WETHER THE SECRETARIAT MADE THEIR SECOND SUGGESTION AT CHINESE PROMPTING OR ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE, IF THE LATTER YOU MAY WISH TO POINT OUT TO THEM THE APPARENT INCONSISTENCY.
3
IT SEEMS TO US THAT THERE WOULD BE ADVANTAGE IN GREATER CONSISTENCY, IT COULD BE ACHIEVED BY THE USE OF THE EXPRESSION **COUNTRY, TERRITORY OR REGION' IN EACH CONTEXT WHERE THE PROBLEM OCCURS. IF THE UN AND ALL ITS AGENCIES ADOPTED THIS FORMULA IT OUGHT TO OBVIATE ANY REPETITION OF CHINESE COMPLAINTS ON THIS SCORE, WE ARE AWARE THAT THIS REPRESENTS A CHANGE IN OUR POSITION AS COMPARED WITH THE LINE WE TOOK WHEN THE CHINESE MADE A SIMILAR BUT LESS ACTIVIST DEMARCHE AT THE UPU IN NOVEMBER 1972, AND AGREE WITH HONG KONG THAT AN EXCHANGE OF LETTERS IS DESIRABLE TO PROTECT OUR POSITION, WE SHALL
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