TNAG-1242-FCO40-1555-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 80

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Mr Hym HKD

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Reference HKK040

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4 OCT 1983

11

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

REGISTRATION OF TREATIES

1. We spoke. There is a provision in the UN Charter which calls for registration of all treaties entered into by its members. In practice however most nations are fairly lax about doing this.

2.

Treaties are registered in the United Nations Treaty Series and given a number. In partial answer to your original query, I have traced four bilateral treaties to which the Chinese were a party and which have been registered. They are:

a)

b)

China/Austria Agreement on trade and payments. Signed 2 November 1972. Registration number: 12,675.

China/Sweden Agreement on Civil Air Transport. Signed 1 June 1973. Registration number: 13,137.

c)

China/Canada Agreement on Civil Air Transport. Signed 11 June 1973. Registration number: 13,109.

a)

China/UK Agreement on Archaeological Exhibition in London. Signed 2 July 1973. Registration number: 13,283.

3. It is UK practice to register its treaties at the UN. I presume that the China/UK Agreement was registered by us. It is likely that the other agreements listed were registered by the other party, not China, but the source I used does not specify who registered the agreement. The most that I can say therefore is that there are treaties to which the Chinese are a party that have been registered. It is also probable that many more of China's treaties have been registered than I have listed. It appears that registration can be done unilaterally by one side, without seeking the agreement or authorisation of the other.

See (604

30 September 1983

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RF Wye

Far Eastern Section Research Department OAB 2/126 273 5044

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