TNAG-1602-FCO40-2198-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1987 — Page 120

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

Organisations responsible for the affairs between Hong and the various provinces/regions at present:

Long

The Xinhua News Agency. Hong Kong Branch is a news agency as well as an office under the State Council of China in Hong Kong carrying out the duties assigned by the State Council in certain aspects. As far as the affairs between Hong Kong and the various provinces/regions are concerned, the Xinhu News Agency is mainly responsible for providing informatic: and liaison. For instance, a Hong Kong invester who wishes to set up an enterprise in China may ask the Xinhua News Agency for relevant information; a Hong Kong cultural organisation which would like to invite performing bodies of the mainland to Hong Kong may also ask the Xinhua news Agency to liaise with the authorities in China and to make due arrangements.

The

of

the

British Embassy in Beijing is an official organisation the U.K. in China handling the foreign affairs between the two countries. As far as the affairs between Hong Kong and the various provinces/regions are concerned, the British Embassy in Beijing is mainly responsible for issuing visas. With the approval of the relevant organisations under State Council, the bodies of various provinces/regions applying for visas to Hong Kong are to apply to the British Embassy in Beijing. The applications will then be referred the Immigration are issued, they provinces/regions

by the British Embassy in Beijing to

When the visas

Department of Hong Kong. will be delivered to the bodies of concerned through the British Embassy in

Beijing.

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office under the State Council of China is mainly responsible for formulating policies regarding Hong Kong and Macau and promoting communication between the Central Government on one hand and Hong Kong and Macau on the other.

Only in important bi- lateral activities is the office involved in

administrative work.

actual

of

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the Ministry Foreign Affairs of the PRC is mainly responsible for the foreign affairs concerning Hong Kong and Macau that China is to handle through diplomatic means.

4

Provisions on the relationship between the HKSAR provinces/regions under the Joint Declaration

and

4.1

Section 1 of Annex

I:

"The Hong Kong directly

Special Administrative, Region

shall

be

under the authority of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China."

6

Page 120Page 121