TNAG-1122-FCO40-1397-Dependent-Territories-and-the-Universal-Postal-Union-(UPU)-1982 — Page 3

HOFO 023/22

TELELETTER TO FCO

TELELETTER TO PEKING

GR 200

CONFIDENTIAL

(34)

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TELELETTER

FROM : R.P. MARGOLIS, DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG

REF : TC 146/82

DATED 22 DECEMBER 1982

FOR : T.W.M. SMITH, ESQ., HKGD, FCO

COPIED TO : ESSD, FCO

FED,

FCOTM

R.N. PEIRCE, DSQ., HM EMBASSY, PEKING

APPU AND HONG KONG

(33.

PLEASE REFER TO BOB PEIRCE'S TELELETTER OF 8 DECEMBER. SUPPORT

BOB PEIRCE'S REMARKS. I DO NOT THING THAT IT WOULD BE WISE TO

APPROACH THE CHINESE FORMALLY ON THIS SUBJECT. THIS IS ONE OF

THOSE AREAS WHERE THE CHINESE DO NOT OBJECT PROVIDED WE TAKE

CARE TO AVOID OFFENDING THEIR SENSIBILITIES, WHICH AS BOB

PEIRCE RIGHTLY POINTS OUT ARE MOSTLY PROCEDURAL. THE TWO PITFALLS

TO BE AVOIDED ARE AS FOLLOWS:

(A) ACCIDENTAL DESCRIPTION OF HONG KONG AS A COUNTRY IN ITS OWN

RIGHT: AND

(B) HEAVY-HANDED REFERENCES TO HONG KONG'S COLONIAL STATUS.

THERE ARE MANY INTERNATIONAL GATHERINGS IN WHICH HONG KONG

PARTICIPATES AND IN WHICH THESE PITFALLS ARE SUCESSFULLY AVOIDED.

BUT ASKING THE CHINESE FORMALLY TO ENDORSE THESE INFORMAL

PROCEDURES WOULD BE ANOTHER MATTER, AND WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY GENERATE

UNNECESSARY DIFFICULTIES. FOR THESE REASONS, I AM NOT SURE THAT

AN APPROACH TO NCNA, HOWEVER INFORMAL, WOULD BE USEFUL. THEY

WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE TO REFER THE MATTER TO PEKING.

2. I AM THEREFORE MUCH IN FAVOUR OF ACTION ALONG THE LINES

SUGGESTED IN PARA 4 OF BOB PEIRCE'S TELELETTER. COULD WE NOT

TAKE THE LINE THAT WE ARE BETTER PLACED THAN OTHER MEMBERS OF

APPU TO ASSESS CHINESE ATTITUDES, SINCE WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH

THEM EVERY DAY?

SIGNED R.P. MARGOLIS

NNNN

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