TNAG-1926-FCO40-2742-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Sino-British-Joint-Liaison-Group-sub-gro-1989 — Page 41

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Convention, "routing organisation"

is defined as

an

organisation, listed in Attachment 4 to the said document,

through which the application for approval of a ship earth

station is forwarded to INMARSAT. The Hong Kong TA (along

with a number of other authorities from territories which

are not states) is listed in Attachment 4 as a routing

organisation. The latest edition of this

dated February 1989

(Copies of relevant

applications for earth

document is

extracts of

stations on ships

Attachment 4 are at Annex C.) In practice this means

that: (a)

registered in Hong Kong have to be submitted to the Hong

Kong TA; and (b) such applications are dealt with by

Approval

direct communications between INMARSAT and the Hong Kong

TA without the need to go through the UK or BT.

of the application is notified by INMARSAT to the

applicant and

and the Hong Kong TA. An example of such an

application, and the approval of it, is at Annex D. The

above practice has given rise to no objection by

by any

member of the Organization, and can now be taken to be the

accepted and established practice.

Benefits

14.

Hong Kong is a prominent

centre for shipowning

and management activities. As of March 1989, the total

gross tonnage of shipping registered in Hong

in Hong Kong was

6,508,578 tons.

contributes

This large fleet of merchant ships

significantly

to Hong

Kong's economy.