TNAG-1122-FCO40-1397-Dependent-Territories-and-the-Universal-Postal-Union-(UPU)-1982 — Page 4

DWF

TL. 43/08

PEKING TL 954

TO FCO

HONG KONG

GRS-440

CONFIDENTIAL

TELELITTER

FROM:- RN PEIRCE ESQ, PEKING

REF NR. DATED & DECEMBER 1982

Cald pl. have a

you

look at this moth

Tak

absence and the spech?

Квари

FOLLOWING FOR:- T W SMITH

ESS D

HKGD, FCO

HRG 201/1

COPIED:

EFS, FCO FEE FOO

APPU AND HONG KONG

1.

2.P MARGOLIS OPA HONG KONG

for 7734/1

A to the

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF 19 NOVEMBER. THIS PROVIDED

A FEW MORE PIECES OF THE JIGSAW, BUT THERE ARE

STILL SOME IMPORTANT HOLES. I DO NOT KNOW THE

сп

hgl.

I wish

AUTR

CONSTITUTION OF THE APPU NOR THE MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA. NUR AM I

FAMILIAR WITH THE FORMULAE USED TO SECURE

MEMBERSHIP OR ATTENDANCE FOR HONG KONG OF OTHER

SEE (34

MULTINATIONAL BODIES, AND TO WHICH CHINA HAS NOT RAISED OBJECTION.

I AM THUS HAMPERED IN TRYING TO SUGGEST A FORMULA

WHICH MIGHT BE ACCEPTABLE IN THIS CASE.

2.

'30)

FURTHER MORE, AS WE POINTED OUT IN OUR TEL NO 760,

WE HAVE ONLY HEARD OF THE CHINESE OBJECTION FROM WELLINGTON

→TEL NO 263. IT IS NOT CLEAR FROM THIS OR THE OTHER

TELEGRAMS LISTED IN PARAGRAPH 1 OF YOUR TEL NO 348 WHAT DEGREE

OF CONSULTATION THERE HAS BEEN WITH THE CHINESE

ON THIS QUESTION, MY COMMENTS MUST THEREFORE BE SOMEWHAT GENERAL.

THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

(A) I WOULD NOT EXPECT THE CHINESE TO OBJECT TO THE

BASIC IDEA THAT AN IMPORTANT TELECOMMUNICATIONS USER LIKE

HONG KONG SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE APPU. INDEED THE

LINE IN WELLINGTON TEL NO 263 SUGGESTS THAT THEY DO NOT.

IF THEY HAVE OBJECTIONS THEREFORE, THESE WOULD BE PRO-

CEDURAL RATHER THAN SUBSTANTIVE. THOUGHT

THEY PRESUMABLY ARISE FROM CONSIDERATIONS OF

PRINCIPLE.

(B) THE SECOND SENTENCE OF HONG KONG TEL NO 870 OF

12 AUGUST IS ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHINESE ATTITUDE IN GENERAL TO SUCH GATHERINGS.

3. 1 DO NOT SEE HOW WE CAN ASSESS WHAT FLEXIBILITY THERE

MAY BE ON THE CHINESE SIDE WITHOUT ASKING THEM, AND THAT IS

WHAT I THINK SHOULD BE DONE. BUT FEEL IT WOULD BE BETTER NOT TO

DO IT ON THE DIPLOMATIC CHANNEL HERE, LEST WE SHOULD STIR UP

A QUESTION OF PRINCIPLE WHICH MIGHT AFFECT HONG KONG'S

PARTICIPATION IN OTHER BODIES. ONE WAY TO PROCEED WOULD BE TO PROBE FURTHER ON THE APPU NET, BUT WE COULD NOT BE SURE THAT APPU WOULD CORRECTLY ASSESS AND REPORT THE CHINESE POSITION,

A BETTER WAY MIGHT BE TO TRY AN INFORMAL ENQUIRY ABOUT THE

CHINESE POSITION THROUGH HONG KONG-CHINA COMMUNICATIONS LINKS

OR EVEN NONA, HONG KONG WILL HAVE VIEWS ON THIS.

4. LOOKING AT THE MATTER FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.

IS IT NOT POSSIBLE IN VIEW OF THE CONSENSUS FEELING REPORTED

IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF WELLINGTON TEL NO 351 THAT THE APPU

COULD FIND A WAY AROUND THE RULES MENTIONED IN THE THIRD SENTENCE

OF WELLINGTON TEL NO 263 AND ACCEPT HONG KONG AS AN OBSERVER IN ITS OWN RIGHT?

SINGED....、、、、、、、、、、、....A N PEIRCE

NNN