TNAG-1519-FCO40-2080-Employment-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 116

CONFIDENTIAL

United Kingdom Mission

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

17 MÁR 1986

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

24

Miss M J Maxwell

Office of the International Labour

Adviser

FCO

Your reference

Our reference

GUN 211/13

Date

12 March 1986

Jerr

Mary,

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(C

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ules, to Mr TJ Williams, CBE

SBJ Govenman's Secretariat,

ILO: HONG KONG AND THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE (ILC)

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1. I spoke to Hilary Kellerson, ILO Legal Department on 3 March about our intention that Hong Kong be represented at this year's International Labour Conference (ILC) by a tripartite (advisory) component within the British delegation. (Your letter of 20 February refers: not to all). She in turn undertook to raise the matter discreetly with ILO Assistant Director-General Jin, a Chinese national who has recognized informal links with the Chinese Permanent Mission here.

2.

She subsequently told me that Mr Wang Jianbang, Labour Counsellor in the Chinese Mission, had approached her on 6 March, ostensibly to enquire about Bermuda's intentions vis à vis this year's Conference. Mrs Kellerson told Wang that we were seeking observer status for Bermuda and that this was permitted (not in ILC Standing Orders but) by a decision of the ILO Governing Body (GB).

3.

Wang then admitted that he was really interested in Hong Kong. Taking her cue, Mrs Kellerson explained that there was nothing to prevent the British Government from seeking observer status for Hong Kong, but that we had not done so and there was no sign that we would. However there were indications that we intended this year to include a tripartite advisory component in our own delegation. Mrs Kellerson told Wang that she was sure that we did not want this to come as a surprise to the Chinese, and particularly that it should not cause them problems.

4.

According to Mrs Kellerson, Wang appeared relaxed at this news. Indeed she gained the impression (but no more) that Wang saw no objection to Hong Kong being accorded observer status. There was no explicit understanding at the end of their conversation that, having taken soundings of his Government, Wang would in due course give the ILO some formal reaction to this indication of our intentions; but Mrs Kellerson thinks he will (and, of course, she will tell us if he does). She does not now intend to speak with Jin.

COMMENT

5. I am sure we are right to be this sensitive about possible Chinese reactions to the presence in our delegation of a tripartite advisory

CONFIDENTIAL

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