TNAG-1150-FCO40-1430-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-the-European-Community-1982 — Page 66

©

Alter

Office of the United Kingdom Permanent Representative

to the European Communities

Rond-Point Robert Schuman 6

1040 Brussels

Telephone 736 99 20

MICAL

Miss Sophia Lambert

ECD (E)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office LONDON SW1

Your reference CGE

No

Our reference

16/3! Privs ibl

Date 4 March 1982

Dear Sophia,

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND HONG KONG

0

seel See (in)

13

1.

Thank you for your letter of 1 March.

2.

Taken with the other correspondence you sent me, this makes the general problem very clear. But I should be grateful if you and Hong Kong and General Department could cast an eye over the enclosed draft letter from me to the Council Secretariat. The point which they may have difficulty grasping, and which might call for fuller explanation than I have provided, is the precise distinction between the British Trade Commissioner on the one hand and the Hong Kong Government on the other. fact that HMG appoint the Governor of Hong Kong may give the unititiated the idea that the policies of the Hong Kong Government are if only in a general way, subject to our control and approval. We should perhaps explain, in a little more detail than I am able to, how and why this is not so.

Hong Kong Dist

Jon's,

you

Сат

Yours vincorrly

John

help, please

боро Sopher Pumbat

913

J M Healey

Megar

The