TNAG-1345-FCO40-1775-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Joint-Liaison-Group-1984 — Page 13

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meetings of the Group

not to be too frequent. A gradual start to the activities of the Group would make it easier to accustom

Hong Kong to it. On the other hand there are already areas where discussion with the Chinese is becoming necessary (eg the White Paper on constitutional development), and we do not wish to restrict

the activities of the Group to the point where it becomes difficult

for us

to use it to further our aims. These considerations suggest that the initial pattern should be something like the minimum number of plenary sessions (three a year) but with a degree of flexibility and the possibility of holding extra meetings. Probably we should

try to fix only one meeting at a time.

10. We must recognise that the Chinese may seek from the start to

propose a more substantial corpus of work or a more elaborate

pattern of meetings, perhaps covering topics unwelcome to us. We shall have to be ready to resist such proposals if necessary.

11. We may well wish to suggest the formation of a certain number

of expert sub-groups at an early stage. A possible example is a

sub-group on treaties. There will be a heavy burden of detailed and technical work, which will almost certainly need to be hived off to legal experts working under the general direction of the main

Group.

12. Hong Kong's position in the GATT and other international

economic arrangements will be another topic for early work. first instance this might be handled in the main Group. [Other

subjects?].

In the

13. The Chinese may well have their own ideas for sub- groups. Α possible suggestion from their side would be the formation of a

sub-group on Hong Kong financial and budgetary policy. There could be some advantage in taking this opportunity to educate the Chinese more fully on Hong Kong's financial management; although certain sensitive information may need to be withheld until much nearer to

1997.

14. In the light of all the above, our aim might be that the first meeting of the Group should cover the following ground:

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