HUD 29111
CONFIDENTIAL
Q_DIST?
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026743
MDHIAN 9260
CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2124
OF 070634Z DECEMBER 1987
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, TOKYO
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HONG KONG TELNO 4573 AND YOUR TELNO 1068: HONG KONG/JAPAN CULTURAL AGREEMENT.
1. PIGOTT CALLED ON WANG WEIYANG ON 7 DECEMBER AT THE LATTER'S REQUEST. SPEAKING FROM A MANUSCRIPT SPEAKING NOTE, WANG GAVE THE CHINESE SIDE'S FORMAL RESPONSE TO PIGOTT'S DEMARCHE ON 1 DECEMBER (MY TELNO 2098
2. WANG SAID THAT, AFTER CAREFUL STUDY, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NO OBJECTION TO HONG KONG, UNDER UK GOVERNMENT AUTHORISATION, SIGNING A CULTURAL AGREEMENT WITH JAPAN WHICH WOULD LAST ONE YEAR AND WOULD NOT HAVE EFFECT BEYOND 1997. WANG ADDED THAT THE NEGOTIATION OR CONCLUSION OF AGREEMENTS BY HONG KONG WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES UNDER UK GOVERNMENT AUTHORISATION RELATED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION TO THE JOINT DECLARATION AND COULD AFFECT THE CONTINUED APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS CONCERNING HONG KONG. THE CHINESE SIDE THEREFORE HOPED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD INFORM THEM IN ADVANCE IN FUTURE WHENEVER THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS NEGOTIATING AND CONCLUDING AGREEMENTS SIMILAR TO THIS ONE. THIS WOULD PROMOTE CLOSE CO-OPERATION AND FACILITATE ARRANGEMENTS AFTER 1997.
3. PIGOTT THANKED WANG FOR THESE HELPFUL COMMENTS. HE REPEATED THAT WE DID NOT KNOW WHETHER FURTHER CULTURAL AGREEMENTS WOULD BE SIGNED. BUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IRO GUIDELINES WE WOULD CONSULT THE CHINESE SIDE ON ANY ARRANGEMENTS INTENDED TO LAST BEYOND 1997. THE REASON WE HAD INFORMED THE CHINESE SIDE ABOUT THE CURRENT AGREEMENT WAS BECAUSE WE WANTED NO MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT ITS LIMITED SCOPE. PIGOTT ALSO MADE THE POINTS IN PARA 1 AND 3 OF FIRST TUR.
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WANG TOOK NOTE AND UNDERTOOK TO REPORT.
COMMENT
5.
THIS IS WELCOME NEWS. OUR EXCHANGE WITH THE MFA ON THIS SUBJECT IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF THE DIFFICULTIES WE FACE IN HAVING WANG
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