TNAG-1377-FCO40-1825-Future-of-Hong-Kong-legislation-Hong-Kong-Bill-1985 — Page 243

CONFIDENTIAL

Diplomatic Privileges

Finally paragraph 4 of the

Schedule

accords

diplomatic

our

privileges and immunities to the five Chinese members of

the Joint Liaison Group who will attend meetings of the

Group in London. We need to do this to fulfil

obligation under Annex II to the Joint Declaration,

which provides for the creation of a Joint Liaison Group

of five British and five Chinese members to meet in

London, Peking and Hong Kong. The annex provides that members of the Joint Liaison Group will enjoy diplomatic privileges and immunities as appropriate when the Group

Existing legislation

meets in the three locations.

would not

cover this rather unusual category of

person, and it is therefore necessary

specifically.

to legislate

Hong Kong will need to legislate

separately to provide privileges

and immunities in

Hong Kong for the Chinese members of the Group until

1997 and for the British members thereafter. We expect

the Chinese to provide similar privileges and immunities

to the British members when the Group meets in Peking.

Conclusion

satisfactory

We have negotiated a

agreement for the

future of Hong Kong, and one that is acceptable to the

people who live there. We now need to move rapidly to

ratify and implement the agreement 80 that the renewed

confidence that has been established

in the territory

with the publication of the agreement and its signature

can be maintained.