TNAG-1661-FCO40-2309-Hong-Kong-localisation-of-shipping-legislation-1987 — Page 156

GRS 500

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESK BY 14093OZ FCQ

TELNO 154

OF 14O74OZ JANUARY 87 INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK MECUIVECHI

175/2.

1.4. AN 1267

9

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

8

MIPT.

IN

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANISATION (IMO) POST OF MARINE ADVISER

THE PROCEDURE WHEREBY HONG KONG, AS AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE IMO MAY APPOINT A PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE IMO IS SET OUT AT ANNEX 2 TO ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION A.505(X11) OF 20 NOVEMBER 1981.

2. THE HKG NOW WISHES TO APPOINT SUCH A REPRESENTATIVE AND THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN THIS PROPOSAL. HOWEVER, UKG WISHES TO INFORM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT OF THE PROPOSAL BEFORE ANY FORMAL STEPS ARE TAKEN AND TO EXPLAIN THE THINKING BEHIND THE PROPOSAL.

11

3. ARISING FROM THE NEED TO LOCALISE HONG KONG'S SHIPPING LEGISL- ATION IS THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE WORK OF THE UNITED KINGDOM DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT IN THE FORMULATION OF BRITISH LEGISLATION. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS THEREFORE CREATED A POST OF MARINE ADVISER' IN ITS LONDON OFFICE. THE APPOINTMENT OF THE MARINE ADVISER AS PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE IMO WOULD FACILITATE HIS CONTACTS WITH THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES OF GOVERNMENTS OF OTHER IMO MEMBERS AND THUS ENABLE HONG KONG TO PARTICIPATE MORE REGULARLY THAN HITHERTO IN THE WORK OF THE IMO, WHICH HAS ITS HEADQUARTERS IN LONDON.

4. IN THE BRITISH PAPER CONCERNING HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE IMO PRESENTED TO THE CHINESE SIDE FOR DISCUSSION AT THE SUB- GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT BECAUSE OF THE NEED FOR HONG KONG TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS WHICH WILL FORM THE MAIN BASIS OF HONG KONG'S OWN SHIPPING LEGISLATION IT IS IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG TO BE IN A POSITION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PREPARATION BY THE IMO OF THOSE CONVENTIONS. THE APPOINTMENT OF A PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE WOULD FACILITATE THIS AIM.

5. THE POST OF MARINE ADVISER WILL BE FILLED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE BY MR PETER CHAN YUE-YAN, THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF MARINE IN HONG KONG, WHO IS A BRITISH CITIZEN. HE WOULD WORK FROM THE HONG KONG OFFICE IN LONDON.

CONFIDENTIAL

16.