TNAG-1551-FCO40-2115-Possible-cultural-agreement-between-Hong-Kong-and-Japan-1986 — Page 49

OCMIAN 6717

CONFIDENTIAL

RR PEKIN

RR TOKYO

FM FCOLN TO HOKON

191700Z FEB

GRS 337

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 200100Z HONG KONG

TELNO 332

OF 19170OZ FEBRUARY 86

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, TOKYO

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INDEX

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HELMIPY Action faren

YOUR TELNOS 496 AND 504 AND PEKING TELNO 230: POSSIBLE CULTURAL

AGREEMENT BETWEEN HONG KONG AND JAPAN

1.

WE ARE NOT AS A GENERAL: RULE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT BILATERAL

CULTURAL AGREEMENTS SUCH AS DESCRIBED IN TUR, SINCE THEY CAN

OFTEN PROVE TO BE AN UNNECESSARILY COMPLICATED MEANS OF

FACILITATING EXCHANGES THAT CAN BETTER TAKE PLACE INFORMALLY AND

WITHOUT GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT. THIS WOULD SEEM TO APPLY IN THE

PRESENT CASE, WHERE WE WOULD THINK THAT WHATEVER CULTURAL

EXCHANGES THE JAPANESE HAVE IN MIND MIGHT EQUALLY BE ARRANGED BY

DIRECT CONTACT WITH APPROPRIATE HONG KONG ORGANISATIONS. WE

SHOULD ADD THAT HMG HAS ITSELF SUCH AN AGREEMENT WITH JAPAN.

AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED IN 1960, APPLIES TO THE METROPOLITAN UK ONLY, AND CONTAINS NO PROVISION FOR EXTENSION TO DEPENDENT

TERRITORIES. COPY FOR BOYD FOLLOWS BY NEXT BAG.

2.

THE

WE SHARE PEKING'S VIEW THAT PROVIDED THE CHINESE WERE

KEPT INFORMED OF DEVELOPMENTS, THEY WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO OBJECT

TO SUCH AN AGREEMENT (AND SECTION XI OF ANNEX I PROVIDES OF

COURSE FOR THE HONG KONG SARG TO CONCLUDE SUCH AGREEMENTS ON

ITS OWN AFTER 1997).

3.

IF, SUBJECT TO TOKYO'S VIEWS AND DESPITE THE RESERVATIONS

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