TNAG-1546-FCO40-2110-International-Committee-of-the-Red-Cross-(ICRC)-proposal-to--1986 — Page 35

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Action Taken

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OCMIAN 4825

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1017152 DEC

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TELNO 2848

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INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA

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YOUR TELNO 4083, PEKING TELNO 2356 AND UKMIS TELNO 641:

PROPOSAL TO OPEN A REGIONAL DELEGATION HONG KONG

ICRC

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1.

KUNG, ICRC DELEGATE GENERAL FOR EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA,

CALLED ON HUM, HKD ON 10 DECEMBER TO DISCUSS ICRC'S PROPOSAL TO

OPEN A REGIONAL DELEGATION IN HONG KONG.

2.

KUNG EXPLAINED THAT WHILE MOST ICRC DELEGATIONS WERE

BASED IN ONE COUNTRY/TERRITORY TO COVER A SPECIFIC CONFLICT,

SEVERAL REGIONAL DELEGATIONS HAD ALSO BEEN ESTABLISHED AROUND THE

WORLD TO PROVIDE ICRC SERVICES (TRACING, VISITING ETC) TO

COUNTRIES IN THOSE REGIONS. THE FAR EAST HAD 3 DELEGATIONS (IN

BANGKOK, JAKARTA AND MANILA) BUT NONE COULD EASILY COVER ICRC

ACTIVITIES IN CHINA, BOTH KOREAS, TAIWAN AND JAPAN. ICRC WERE

KEEN TO OPEN A NEW REGIONAL DELEGATION IN HONG KONG TO STRENGTHEN

THEIR ACTIVITIES IN THESE COUNTRIES. ICRC HAD SOUNDED OUT THE

COUNTRIES CONCERNED, AND THEIR NATIONAL RED CROSS SOCIETIES, ABOUT A STRENGTHENING OF ICRC ACTIVITIES, AND NONE HAD OBJECTED.

THE PROPOSED NEW OFFICE IN HONG KONG WOULD BE SMALL: STAFFED BY 2

SWISS EXPATRIATES (OF WHOM KUNG WOULD BE ONE) AND 2-3 LOCAL STAFF

KUNG CONFIRMED THAT ICRC HAD APPROACHED THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES

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