TNAG-0365-FCO40-411-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-international-organisations-1973 — Page 92

CONFIDENTIAL

BRUNEI AND HONG KONG

26.

Both territories are associate members of ECAFE and are entitled to participate without vote in all meetings of the Commission and the Committees of the whole. In other Committees both territories are entitled to vote and to hold office.

27. Since Her Majesty's Government are responsible for the external affairs of both territories it is important that their delegates should not speak or vote on political questions without guidance of the UK delegate. In practice they have never spoken on such questions if they have arisen in ECAFE and it is not suggested that any reference to this obligation should be made to either Delegation.

28.

It is HMG's policy to encourage Brunei to participate fully in UN economic and technical activities in Asia and we accordingly informed Brunei that both the Mekong project and the Asian Development Bank deserve a sympathetic response. However, at the 22nd Session, the Brunei alternate informally told the ECAFE Secretariat that HMG had prevented Brunei contributing to the Mekong project and the Asian Development Bank, an allegation which was not true. The Brunei Government had decided not to contribute to the project against the advice of the British High Commissioner there. No formal rebuttal of the Brunei allegation was made and it has not been repeated since.

CHINA

29.

A Delegation from the Peoples Republic of China is expected to attend the 29th Session. They should be made welcome. Since ECAFE is a subordinate organ of the UN, there is no dispute about Chinese representation. Nor should there be any discussion of the possible admission of Taiwan to ECAFE as long as the Taiwan Government claims to represent China as a whole.

In any discussion of the status of Taiwan, the Delegation should make no comment. They should vote for any CPR inspired resolutions urging the cutting off of all links with the Nationalist regime.

30. We do not yet know what line the Chinese will take in ECAFE. They are known to be feeling their way and until they have some experience of the Commission's working, it is unlikely that they will play a very active part inthe proceedings. It will be interesting to see whether the Chinese introduce themselves at the Plenary as a developed or a developing nation. The UK should not comment on their choice.

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CONFIDENTIAL

/CHINA