TNAG-1759-FCO40-2511-Future-of-Hong-Kong-10th-meeting-of-the-Sino-British-Joint-L-1988 — Page 25

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TO ROUTINE WASHINGTON

TELNO 1580

OF 271515Z SEPTEMBER 88

AND TO ROUTINE OTTAWA CANBERRA

WELLINGTON

Cε 3/10 S

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

HONG KONG AGREEMENT TENTH MEETING OF THE JLG

1

THE TENTH MEETING OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP

(JLG) TOOK PLACE IN LONDON FROM 20-23 SEPTEMBER THE TEXT OF THE

JOINT COMMUNIQUE IS IN MIFT (NOT TO INFO ADDRESSEES) PLEASE MAKE

USE OF ANY SUITABLE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF SENIOR CONTACTS ALONG

THE LINES OF PARAS 2 TO 9 BELOW SEE ALSO OUR TELNO 511 OF 17

MARCH

{

2 THE MEETING WAS CONDUCTED IN A CORDIAL ATMOSPHERE AND RAN

SMOOTHLY WE MADE GOOD PROGRESS ON A NUMBER OF ITEMS AND GAINED

THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CHINESE TEAM WERE KEEN TO MAINTAIN THE

MOMENTUM ACHIEVED IN EARLIER MEETINGS BUT ON ONE OF TWO ITEMS (SEE PARA 9) WE DID NOT ADVANCE VERY FAR PROBABLY BECAUSE THE

CHINESE WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETE THEIR INTERNAL CONSULTATIONS 3 THE RETURN OF FUGITIVE OFFENDERS (IE EXTRADITION) WAS AGAIN

THE MEATIEST ITEM DISCUSSIONS ON THIS OCCASION (THREE SESSIONS

IN PLENARY AND ONE SESSION BETWEEN EXPERTS) FOLLOWED TWO ROUNDS

OF EXPERT TALKS SINCE JLG IX AGREEMENT WAS REACHED ON A PACKAGE

OF MEASURES WHICH IN SUM WILL ENABLE HONG KONG TO CONCLUDE EXTRADITION AGREEMENTS WITH THIRD COUNTRIES AND WHICH WILL BE

CAPABLE OF CONTINUING IN FORCE BEYOND 1997 DETAILS WILL

CONTINUE TO BE WORKED ON BY EXPERTS THE PACKAGE INCLUDES A CONSULTATION PROCEDURE BETWEEN THE CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT AND THE FUTURE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL

ADMINISTRATIVE REGION (SAR) ON CASES INVOLVING CHINA'S DEFENCE

AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS (BUT NO LONGER QUOTE MAJOR NATIONAL INTERESTS

UNQUOTE AS AT JLG IX) IT REMAINS OUR VIEW THAT SUCH CASES WILL

BE RARE IN THE EXTREME WE THINK IT IS HIGHLY IMPROBABLE THAT

CASES COULD ARISE IN THESE TWO AREAS WHERE THE CPG AND THE CHIEF

EXECUTIVE WILL DISAGREE ON HOW TO PROCEED BUT THE CHINESE SIDE

WISHED TO SAFEGUARD THE ULTIMATE RIGHT OF THE CPG TO INSTRUCT THE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE WHETHER OR NOT TO SURRENDER A REQUESTED PERSON IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES WE EVENTUALLY ACCPETED THIS, BUT SUBJECT TO STRINGENT CONDITIONS SAFEGUARDING THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE HONG

KONG JUDICIARY AND THE NEED FOR ALL ACTION TO BE IN ACCORDANCE

WITH HONG KONG LAW EXPERTS WILL NEED TO DISCUSS WHETHER THE

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