TNAG-1871-FCO40-2659-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1989 — Page 26

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference.

1. a Mr Wather, Research Sept

Mr Cal

Coral Will

HKB 02016

2. Mr

Mr Riordan

14 MAR 1989

C d'A

IN

Miss Marsdeniyl

Mr Cahner 14/3

pan 4.

рам

3. Ente +7

херн

DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER'S CALL ON GUO FENGMIN, HKMAO/MFA,

2 MARCH 1989: STRUCTURE OF THE HKMAO AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STATE COUNCIL

30

CODE 18-77

1.

In response to a question by Stephen Bradley, Guo Fengmin outlined the structure of the MFA's HKMAO. Until 1984, Section I of WED had been responsible for Hong Kong and Macao affairs. Just before the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, it was decided to establish the HKMAO which, in effect, was also the Chinese JLG Office. Since July 1988, with Ke Zaishuo's transfer to Hong Kong, the JLG office and HKMAO were quite separate.

2.

The HKMAO consists of some 30 members of staff working in three sections:

(i) (ii) (iii)

responsible for Hong Kong general affairs responsible for JLG matters

responsible for Macao affairs.

Guo added that the HKMO of the State Council was responsible for Hong Kong affairs generally and that the HKMAO of the MFA was responsible for the foreign affairs aspects of that work. Before the establishment of the JLG, there had been a clear separation of duties between the two offices but this had now become blurred and the HKMAO/State Council were also involved in the foreign affairs aspects of Hong Kong affairs. Guo added that the two offices enjoyed a very good cooperative relationship with each other.

4.

Guo commented that, after 1997, the MFA would have a rep- resentative office in the HKSAR. He recalled that, during his sponsored visit to China, Donald Liao had asked about the respon- sibilities such an office would have. Guo said that the CPG would entrust to the SARG autonomy in pursuing foreign relations in eg economic, trade and cultural fields. The CPG's foreign affairs office in the HKSAR would not interfere in such matters. Rather, the office would act as a point of liaison between the CPG and SARG on foreign affairs-related issues: eg in helping to establish who should attend international conferences if both the CPG and SARG wanted to send delegates. Guo added that, in such cases, the MFA's representative office would act as a kind of bridge between the two governments and repeated that it would not interfere in aspects of foreign affairs for which the SARG was responsible.

CC:

CT Wood Esq, HKD, FCO

N Chan Esq, GDB, Hong Kong

O Pigott

First Secretary (Chancery)

GH Leicester Esq, UKRep JLG, Hong Kong RAJ Bunten Esq, APA(G), HONG KONG