TNAG-1390-FCO40-1862-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 16

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TT PEKING

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ALZ 020/29

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TELELETTER

FROM TJ DUGGIN, POLAR REGIONS SECTION, SAMD, FCO

ALZ 020/29 DATED 20 NOVEMBER 2984

FOLLOWING FOR SIMON FEATHERSTONE, PEKING

COPIED TO: JOHN ASHTON, FED, FCO

CHINESE SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION

1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF 15 OCTOBER.

TED

PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE

THE MFA'S NOTE (84) BU TIAO ZI NO 241 OF 26 OCTOBER, INCORPORATING

THE FOLLOWING TEXT:

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'... THANKS THE MFA FOR THEIR NOTE (NO) INFORMING

THE UNITED KINGDOM IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 5 OF

ARTICLE VII OF THE ANTARCTIC TREATY, OF THE DESPATCH

OF A CHINESE SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA

DURING THE SUMMER OF 1984/85.

THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF CHINA'S INTENTION TO DESPATCH

THIS EXPEDITION AND OF THEIR INTENTION TO SET UP A

BASE ON THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA. THEY ARE CONTENT

THAT CHINA SHOULD DO SO, AND WOULD BE PLEASED TO

MAKE AVAILABLE THE ASSISTANCE AND CO-OPERATION OF

THE BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY SHOULD THE CHINESE

EXPEDITION REQUIRE IT.

AS YOU WILL RECOGNISE, THIS IS TANTAMOUNT TO GIVING THE

CHINESE PERMISSION TO ESTABLISH A SCIENTIFIC STATION IN BRITISH

ANTARCTIC TERRITORY, WHICH, UNDER THE TERMS OF THE ANTARCTIC TREATY, THEY ARE ENTITLED TO DO.

SIGNED T J DUGGIN

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