TNAG-2020-FCO40-2882-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Canada-1990 — Page 8

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16,

052643

MDLOAN 7569

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FM FCO

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG

TELNO 2446

OF 31093OZ DECEMBER 90

HKCB 020/12

fa

OMELCO LINKS WITH OVERSEAS PARLIAMENTARY BODIES

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Q DIST?

1 THE CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION HERE HAVE GIVEN US AN ACCOUNT OF A MEETING WHICH TOOK PLACE IN HONG KONG IN NOVEMBER BETWEEN A

VISITING DELEGATION CANADIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS AND MEMBERS OF LEGCO.

2.

IN THE COURSE OF THE MEETING, LEGCO MEMBERS MENTIONED TO THEIR CANADIAN INTERLOCUTORS THAT THEY HAD RECENTLY AGREED TO

THE CREATION OF A JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE WITH THE

JAPANESE DIET AND SUGGESTED THAT A SIMILAR ORGANISATION COULD BE

SET UP WITH CANADA. ASKED HOW THE CHINESE WOULD PERCEIVE SUCH A VENTURE, LEGCO MEMBERS REPORTEDLY RESPONDED THAT SUCH RELATIONS WOULD BE UNOFFICIAL, IE NOT AT STATE TO STATE LEVEL, AND THAT

CHINESE OBJECTIONS WERE NOT THEREFORE EXPECTED.

3.

WE HAVE SEEN YOUR TELNOS 16 AND 17 TO TOKYO AND TOKYO TELNO 41, WHICH ARE RELEVANT. BUT WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY FURTHER BACKGROUND AND FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON THE ADVISABILITY OF INTER-INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THIS KIND.

4. ACCORDING TO THE CANADIANS, LEGCO MEMBERS ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN AT THE TERMINATION OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION (ALTHOUGH INDIVIDUALS WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO SUBSCRIBE TO LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP OF THE CPA IN THEIR PERSONAL CAPACITIES). WE HAD NOT BEEN AWARE OF

THIS DEVELOPMENT. GRATEFUL FOR FURTHER BACKGROUND.

HURD

YYYY

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