TNAG-1926-FCO40-2742-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Sino-British-Joint-Liaison-Group-sub-gro-1989 — Page 18

Current Participation

1

3

5.

The UK

Government

consults the Hong Kong

Government on matters relating to INTELSAT which affect

the interests of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government has

not in the past sent representatives to attend meetings of

the Assembly of Parties (Agreement, Article VII) as

members of the UK delegation. With the increasing

importance to Hong Kong of the work of the Organisation

the time may soon come when there will be a practical need

for the Hong Kong Government to have a representative on

the UK delegation at such meetings. There are three

reasons for this.

First, Hong Kong is developing into a

hub or centre for

international telecommunications.

Second, Hong Kong has more interest in the use and

management of satellites

over the Pacific and Indian

Oceans than does the United Kingdom. Third, the

development by a Hong Kong registered company of a

regional satellite system in Asia with the possibility of

carrying international traffic would be likely to involve

conclusions within INTELSAT. In relation to each of these

situations the Hong Kong Government is best placed to

represent within the UK delegation Hong Kong's needs and

priorities. There is also the point that after 1997 the

needs and priorities of the Hong

the Hong Kong SAR may well be

different from those of the rest of the PRC. In

accordance with Rule IV of the Rules of Procedure of the

Assembly of Parties each Party to the Agreement is free to