TNAG-1926-FCO40-2742-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Sino-British-Joint-Liaison-Group-sub-gro-1989 — Page 98

CONFIDENTIAL

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of China (PRC) is also a party to the Agreement. The

Signatory of the PRC is the Ministry of Posts and

Telecommunications.

Current Participation

5.

The UK

Government consults the Hong Kong

Government on matters relating to

relating to INTELSAT

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.

reasons for this.

There are three

First, Hong Kong is developing into a

hub or centre for

international telecommunications.

Second, Hong Kong has

management of satellites

more interest in the use and

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