TNAG-0943-FCO40-1162-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1980 — Page 161

(d) Consul-General:

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HKK 040/1

Reference

The Chinese have made it clear that such a title would be unacceptable.

Sovereignty

Flag D

5.

Flag E

Mr Wilford's submission of 15 November 1973 suggests that the question of sovereignty of Hong Kong was also considered at that time. I shall go back to Library and Records for the relevant papers. In the meantime, you may wish to see a further extract from the draft Research Memorandum which touches on the subject of sovereignty.

6. I have asked Research Department to keep an eye open for refer- ences to this subject, and the implications for citizenship, in any earlier papers from Public Records which they might turn up.

Huess

CODE 18-77

SS 8/78

2 June 1980

PI Webb

Hong Kong and General Department

P.S. I. I have discussed the above with the Legal Adviser.

2. An paras. 324 he was of de grimion that recognition rather How the functions of any representative way what mattered.

Since the Chinese ve

unlikely to want

any representature to be accredited to the Hong Kong Government (..e. a Consent- General is out), de representative's functions would be defined Simply by those subjects which de Hong Kong Government chose to discuss with him. To be extent that he would have no power to make laws or to would of course be defined in

govern

his functions

Mr

a regative way Rushford saw no bijection in the tittes proposed at para.

* (a) or (b) above.

3. Mr Rushford had

grave

doubts about

any suggestion

M

sovereignty. Any concession would

which to Chinese we

that we make concessions

require re-regatiations of the C treaties

untidy to accept. His reasoning is given is the attached

minute.

fwess 4/6.

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