TNAG-1393-FCO40-1865-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 32

CO1ALD

1.

F CO contact: MI

Telephone 01 233 4381.

UK Aims

RESTRICTED

HONG KONG AND CHINA

William Ehrman, Hong Kong

Department,

2. To ensure that UN and other documents touching on Hong Kong's

status are worded accurately in order not to give the Chinese cause to protest; and to ensure that any dealings with the

Chinese or with a UN Secretariat in that connection are in a low

key.

General Guidelines

3. (a)

If there is reason to believe that the UN Secretariat

concerned is unaware of the sensitivities over Hong Kong's

status, the delegation should endeavour to discuss the matter informally with them before documents are issued.

If it

it is not possible for

for the delegation to

to avoid the

inclusion of unsuitable references to Hong Kong, the

matter should be referred to the FCO immediately;

(b the delegation should check all relevant UN documents for

references to Hong

Hong Kong in case they are inaccurate or likely to cause offence to the Chinese. There should be

no reference (even by implication) to Hong Kong as a "country". This is most likely to occur inadvertently, by Hong Kong featuring in a list of participants the rest of which are countries. The delegation should also seek to

eliminate any individual reference to Hong

Hong Kong as a

"colony" or, if possible, as a "dependent territory"

although there should be по attempt to make a separate reference to Hong Kong in any passage referring generally

to colonies or dependent territories;

سو

(c) Our preferred description of Hong Kong is as a

"territory". This term should be substitued, if possible,

for any description of Hong Kong as an "area".

If

3