TNAG-1314-FCO40-1696-Working-papers-for-use-at-talks-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 136

GRS 600

SECRET

FROM PEKING 19024OZ NOV 93

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

CEORET

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1213 OF 19/11/83

REPEATED FOR INFO TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

MEK040/18

CHUSH

146

134

YOUR TEL NO 1210:

FUTURE OF HONG KONG:

WORKING PAPER

ON TREATIES AFFECTING HONG KONG

See (1428

1. WE ASSUME THAT THE POINT OF THIS PAPER IS TO OBTAIN CHINESE AGREEMENT

(A) TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT EXISTING BILATERAL AND

MULTILATERAL TREATIES WHICH CURRENTLY APPLY TO HONG KONG SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO SO, AND

(5) TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT COMMISSION.

SHOULD AGREEMENT ON (B) BE FORTHCOMING WE ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE IN MIND THE COMMISSION'S WORK TAKING PLACE DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PHASE (IE AFTER AN OVERALL AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE) AND THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD ADDRESS ITSELF TO AGREEING WITH THE CHINESE HOW BEST TO SECURE THIRD PARTIES' AGREEMENT THAT THEIR EXISTING TREATIES WITH HONG KONG SHOULD CONTINUE TO REMAIN IN FORCE.

2. IN THE LIGHT OF THE ABOVE OUR SUGGESTED RECRAFT IS AS FOLLOWS. BEGINS:

THE CHINESE PROPOSAL.

LAWS, DECREES AND ORDINANCES CURRENTLY IN FORCE WILL REMAIN BASICALLY UNCHANGED. THE CURRENT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SYSTEMS WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED. USING THE NAME HONG KONG, CHINA' THE HONG KONG SAR MAY, ON ITS OWN, MAINTAIN AND DEVELOP ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL RELATIONS AND SIGN AGREEMENTS WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND REGIONS AND THE RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS.

SEORET

/ IMPLICATIONS.

153

116c

199)