TNAG-0589-FCO40-722-Private-visits-of-leading-personalities-from-Hong-Kong-to-UK-1976 — Page 58

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Mr Cortazzi

Me Larmour

PS/PUS

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M NO. 51

21 JUN:976

(HKK353/548/1

Chest & HR1022/

Copy to Mr. Eaton

OD

29)

du. O' Koope links P/A

Кобре M. Bull

Ra Dim

HONG KONG: COMPLAINT ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY

ASSOCIATION

1.

1816.

Mr Cortazzi asked HKIOD to look into Sir Y K Kan's complaint that for the past two years Hong Kong has not been invited to "meetings of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association" (paragraph 6 of the PUS' minute of 7 June).

2. CCD have advised that the UK Branch of the CPA organises two

functions each year for the benefit of overseas branches of the Association. One is a seminar, which Hong Kong does not qualify to attend since its legislature is not an elected body. The other function is an annual visit to this country by members of the over-

seas branches of the CPA. There are 100 such branches and about 25 persons are invited each year. Over the past twelve years, Hong Kong have been invited to send ten persons but only five invitations have been taken up. Hong Kong had two visitors in 1974 and it was

felt that it would not be fair on the other overseas branches to

invite Hong Kong again last year. There is no visit this year since the CPA is organising the Speakers Conference, which only independent member countries of the Commonwealth attend. The only other function organised by the CPA which could be relevant to Sir Y K Kan's complaint is the Annual Conference. Hong Kong is regularly invited to the Conference, although the CPA's rules had to be bent to permit their participation since the normal require- ment is that a country/territory should have an elected legislature.

3. It seems that Sir Y K Kan's complaint may relate to the fact

that Hong Kong was not invited to take part in the 1975 visit to the UK. He may also have assumed that there was going to be a visit this year and, in the absence of an invitation so far, have concluded that Hong Kong was being left out for the second year running. Even if this were so, it is clear that Hong Kong has not been at all

/badly

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