TNAG-1041-FCO40-1291-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 75

CODE 18.77

Mr Rushford

Legal Advisers

K 188

SECRET

040/1

256

Reference.....

040/1

ник

11 DEC1931

INDEX

Pas 14/12

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

1.

There has been a good deal of minuting recently on the legal implications of a possible relinquishment by the United Kingdom of sovereignty over Hong Kong. In paragraph 7 of your (undated) minute to Mr Clift (folio 230A) you said there was little you could provide by way of advice on specific legal ways and means 'until some scheme is worked out of the basis of what would be politically feasible and acceptable'. In subsequent discussion with Mr Williamson (folio 232) you did not think our suggestions so far would create legal impediments to the solution of the related problems that relinquishment would throw up.

2.

Now that we are now submitting to Ministers on the question of a possible relinquishment of sovereignty, we need to look in greater depth at the legal implications. Ideally, this should take the form of a tabulated presentation of the legal problems and their possible solutions.

3.

I attach a rough outline for such a presentation which I realise may not be comprehensive. Mr Clift would like by 10 December a complete directory to the questions Ministers may ask. It would then need to be sent to Hong Kong and Peking for their comments. I should be most grateful if you could now put some meat on to the skeleton.

ств

W Morris

See

(260

Hong Kong & General Dept K 242 233 3988

3 December 1981

PS

We spoke while the above was being typed. We should work on the assumption, for the present, that the giving up of 'sovereignty' is the only concession under consideration and that our aim is maintenance, in full, of the status quo.

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