TNAG-1142-FCO40-1422-Hong-Kong-and-the-Falkland-Islands-crisis-1982 — Page 91

PP HONG KONG

GRS 459

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

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FM FCO 261500Z APR 82

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 239 OF 26 APRIL 1982

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

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HKI 020/2.

HITI

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HONG KONG AND THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.

GENERAL REPLY TO QUESTIONS IN VEIN OF FALKLANDS/HONG KONG

COMPARISON:

A. THERE IS NO PARALLEL TO BE DRAWN BETWEEN THE CASES OF THE

FALKLANDS AND HONG KONG.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (IF PRESSED ON SPECIFIC POINTS):

Q. WHAT IS THE LEGAL BASIS OF THE BRITISH POSITION IN HONG

KONG?

A. THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE LEASED AND ALL OTHER AREAS OF THE

TERRITORY CEDED TO THE UNITED KINGDOM. THE RELEVANT TREATIES ARE

THE SECOND CONVENTION OF PEKING SIGNED ON 9 JUNE 1898, THE

TREATY OF NANKING, SIGNED ON 29 AUGUST 1842 AND THE FIRST

CONVENTION OF PEKING, SIGNED ON 24 OCTOBER 1850.

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28/4 85 J/4

Q.

IS SOVEREIGNTY NEGOTIABLE?

A.

A PURELY HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION: PREMATURE TO SPECULATE.

SUPPLEMENTARIES ON SOVEREIGNTY:

THE PRESENT PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR ADMINISTERING THE

TERRITORY HAVE THE CONCURRENCE OF THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERN-

MENTS AND ARE WORKING WELL.

Q. DOES HMG INTEND TO STAND BY ITS COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG AND

ITS PEOPLE?

A. YES. MINISTERS HAVE ON MANY OCCASIONS MADE CLEAR THAT OUR

CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO HONG KONG AND ITS PEOPLE REMAIN

UNDIMINISHED.

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