TNAG-1478-FCO40-2010-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1986 — Page 58

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OCMIAN 6769

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TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 2152

OF 031230Z OCTOBER 86

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

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H K K

IN REGISTRY 12 NOV 1986

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

OUR TELNO 2135:

1.

PREPARATION OF PAPERS FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

WE HAVE NOW SUBMITTED THE PAPERS TO THE SECRETARY OF

STATE, AND EXPECT TO HAVE HIS VIEWS AFTER THE WEEKEND. IN THE MEANTIME, HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AGAIN AT THE PAPER ON QUOTE BASIC LAW LEGAL ISSUES UNQUOTE, AND WISH TO SUGGEST SOME FURTHER SMALL AMENDMENTS. THEY ARE PRINCIPALLY DESIGNED TO

CLARIFY ONE OR TWO POINTS WHERE THE LANGUAGE IS OBSCURE AND TO

IMPROVE PRESENTATION.

2.

QUOTE CHINESE CONSTITUTION UNQUOTE SHOULD BE CHANGED

THROUGHOUT TO QUOTE CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF

CHINA UNQUOTE (PEKING TELNO 1807 REFERS). ABBREVIATIONS SUCH AS JD, HKSAR, PRC, CPG AND NPC SHOULD BE EXPANDED THROUGHOUT (LEAVING SAR AS THE ONLY ABBREVIATION).

3.

IN PARA 4 WE WOULD PREFER TO REPLACE QUOTE AGREEMENT

BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA UNQUOTE IN LINES 2/3 BY

QUOTE JOINT DECLARATION UNQUOTE, AND TO REPLACE QUOTE WAY IT IS

LIKELY TO MANIFEST ITSELF UNQUOTE IN LINE 4 BY QUOTE LIGHT OF

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WHICH MIGHT ARISE UNquote.

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