TNAG-1333-FCO40-1765-Future-of-Hong-Kong-legislation-1985 — Page 56

CONFIDENTIAL

DSR 11C

unho, July 1988 It will be entrely peripatetics Theater it will have it Principal bese in Hory Ky.

Declaration, and it will begin to meet for short periods

,

in London Peking and Hong Kong as soon as the Joint

It will meet at host once in each location in each your Declaration enters into force. Each side (United Kingdom

and China) will designate 5 members for the Group

(paragraph 7 of Annex II), and may send up to 20 supporting

staff. Paragraph 10 of the Annex provides that members of

the Group shall enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunities

as appropriate when in the three locations. There is

nothing in the Joint Declaration or its annexes to confer

any privileges or immunities on the supporting staff, or on

any experts who may assist in the work of the Group in

accordance with paragraph 11 of the Annex.

5.

Hong Kong will take the necessary action to ensure

that appropriate privileges and immunities are enjoyed by

the 5 Chinese members of the Group while they are in

Hong Kong. The only clause required in the Bill is one

which provides for members of the Sino-British Joint

Liaison Group nominated by the People's Republic of China

to enjoy in the United Kingdom the like privileges and

immunities as are accorded to diplomatic agents by

the Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964.

to

The

not thought

at to be covered already by International Organizations this 19768.

Other Provisions

sat situation is Section 6 of the

6. It is not essential that the Bill should contain any

other provisions to enable the United Kingdom to ratify

the Joint Declaration. However Ministers have decided to

deal with two other matters in the Bill (Nationality and

Modification of aws), thus obviating the need for a

m

/second

CONFIDENTIAL