TNAG-1551-FCO40-2115-Possible-cultural-agreement-between-Hong-Kong-and-Japan-1986 — Page 29

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29 MAY 1963

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FROM PAUL FIFOOT

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DEPUTY LEGAL ADVISER

DATE: 21 MAY 1986

Mr Thomas, HKD

POSSIBLE HONG KONG/JAPANESE CULTURAL AGREEMENT

1.

I mentioned to you yesterday that Mr Shiget a and Mr Adachi of the Japanese Embassy called on me at their request on the morning of 20 May. They said that they had been instructed that it was intended to enter into an agreement for the provision of technical assistance to Hong Kong University and the Chinese University during the visit of the Governor to Japan later this month. They asked whether the Governor of Hong Kong would have the appropriate entrustment to execute such an agreement.

2.

I told Mr Shigeta that I was unaware of any such proposal but would report it to the Hong Kong Department. As to an entrustment, there was no technical difficulty about this. If it was agreed that we should enter into an international agreement with Japan on these matters, it would be possible to issue an appropriate entrustment to the Governor.

You reported this conversation to Hong Kong and the response was Hong Kong telno 1563 With your agreement I telephoned

3.

Mr Shigeta this afternoon. 10

4.

I told Mr Shigeta that we had consulted Hong Kong and had been informed that the proposal had indeed been made but certain details required further consideration between the Japanese authorities and the authorities in Hong Kong and this would mean that there would not be an opportunity of signing an agreement during the Governor's visit. However, the matter would be mentioned generally. Mr Shigeta was not apparently aware of these developments, so I told him that our understanding was that Mr Matsura was privy to them and had discussed the matter with Mr Boyd (mistakenly yesterday afternoon). Mr Shigeta asked me if there was any legal technical difficulty about an entrustment in due course and I confirmed there was none. asked me if there would be any political difficulty about an entrustment and I told him, so far as I was aware, an entrustment would be acceptable to Hong Kong Department.

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Patter

Paul Fifoot