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CONFIDENTIAL
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GRS 475
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 11103OZ JAN 84
TO ROUTINE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 75 OF 11 JANUARY INFO PEKING
•
HICK 095/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
12 JAN 1984
No
Rvk
KEB
PROPOSED REALIGNMENT OF THE SHENZHEN RIVER TO PREVENT FLOODING.
1. ONE THE EXPERT WORKING GROUPS SET UP UNDER THE AGREEMENT REACHED WITH THE SHENZHEN AUTHORITIES IN APRIL 1982 HAS THE TASK OF PRODUCING PROPOSALS TO CONTROL POLLUTION AND REDUCE THE RISK OF FLOODING IN THE SHENZHEN RIVER, WHICH FORMS PART OF THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA. THE WORKING GROUP HAVE PROPOSED THAT THE RIVER BE REALIGNED IN FOUR PLACES BY STRAIGHTENING OUT SOME OF THE MORE PRONOUNCED BENDS. HONG KONG EXPERSTS ARE AGREED THAT THIS ITS THE ONLY EFFECTIVE WAY OF CURING THE SEVERE FLOODING WHICH PERIODICALLY AFFECTS HONG KONG AS WELL AS CHINESE TERRITORY IN THE
BORDER AREA. IT WOULD ALSO HELP REDUCE POLLUTION BY IMPROVING THE FLOW OF WATER IN THE RIVER.
2. WE HAVE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY THE LEGAL AND TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS OF REALIGNING THE RIVER. OUR LEGAL ADVICE IS THAT, WHERE A RIVER IS REALIGNED DELIBERATELY IN THE MANNER PROPOSED, AND IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY FORMAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES ABOUT REALIGNING THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY, THE BORDER LINE WOULD BE UNAFFECTED. ANY ATTEMPT TO NEGOTIATE A FORMAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH WORKS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY WOULD BE LIKELY TO RUN INTO THE SANDS VERY QUICKLY. IN ANY CASE, THE RIVER IS NOT IN PRACTICE THE BOUNDARY OF ACTIVITY BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA: ALTHOUGH, ACCORDING TO THE 1899 MEMORANDUM ON THE LAND BOUNDARY, THE WATERS OF THE SHENZHEN RIVER ARE IN THEORY PART OF HONG KONG, THEY HAVE NOT FOR MANY YEARS BEEN UNDER OUR CONTROL BUT HAVE BEEN PATROLLED BY CHINESE FORCES. THE PROPOSALS FOR REALIGNMENT, WHICH ORIGINATED WITH THE CHINESE SIDE, HAVE BEEN FORMULATED IN A WAY WHICH WOULD RESULT IN REOUGHLY EQUAL AREAS OF LAND SIDES''.
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