The Chinese responded enthusiastically and it was agreed that the first step would be for the British side to draw up a memorandum covering how cooperation on these subjects was envisaged and how they were ensured under the UK system. Michael Carpenter of your Department undertook, in a letter of 10 August 1988 to Robert Cooper, the Head of our Far Eastern Department, to draft the document. There, for various reasons, the matter has
rested.
I quite understand that drafting the memorandum is a big undertaking. Nonetheless, the arguments for pushing ahead with the project remain as strong as they were last year, and we in the FCO are still keen to develop our legal exchanges with China. While we cannot expect the Attorney General to give any specific undertakings to the Chinese about the agreement, it would be helpful if we could assure them of our continued commitment to the project, and I should be most grateful if you could give me some sort of steer how matters now stand.
Yous wi
Authen
ли
A D Watts
Legal Adviser
CC:
J Rankin Esq, Asst Legal Adviser, FCO
P Rollitt Esq, NTD, FCO
C Wood Esq, HKD, FCO
CS Kerse Esq, DTI Solicitors
CD Robertson Esq, Scottish Courts Administration
D Lavery Esq, Northern Ireland Court Service
Miss E Wilmshurst, Legal Secretariat to the
Law Officers
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