CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 2419
90KREPULS T
OF 20153OZ DECEMBER 90
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST?
7.
66
035257
MDLOAN 7031
YOUR TELNO 3536: GERMAN CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN HONG KONG: CULTURAL AGREEMENT
1. AS REQUESTED IN TUR, WE HAVE TOLD THE GERMAN EMBASSY THAT YOU ARE LOOKING POSITIVELY AT THEIR PROPOSALS AND WILL SHORTLY
BE IN CONTACT WITH THE GERMAN CONSULATE IN HONG KONG.
2. WE ARE ALSO FAXING TO THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE A COPY OF THE UK/FRG CULTURAL AGREEMENT AND AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE PRC/FRG AGREEMENT SUPPLIED BY PEKING. -tacked
3. WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT THE UK HAS TRADITIONALLY PREFERRED TO CONCLUDE CULTURAL AGREEMENTS ONLY WITH COUNTRIES THAT REGARD THEM AS A PREREQUISITE FOR ENGAGING IN CULTURAL EXCHANGES (PEKING TELNO 1372), WE ARE VERY UNUSUAL IN THAT RESPECT. THE GERMANS OBVIOUSLY SEE A NEED TO REGULARISE THEIR POSITION WITH HONG KONG BEFORE 1997, PARTICULARLY IN THE LIGHT OF UNIFICATION.
WE THEREFORE SEE NO HARM IN YOUR TAKING UP THE GERMAN SUGGESTION OF A CULTURAL AGREEMENT. INDEED WE CONTINUE TO SEE CERTAIN PRACTICAL BENEFITS:
(I) JD 134 EXPLICITLY PROVIDES FOR THE HONG KONG SAR TO CONCLUDE AGREEMENTS WITH STATES IN THE CULTURAL FIELD. A CULTURAL AGREEMENT WITH GERMANY WOULD SET A USEFUL PRECEDENT AND REINFORCE HONG KONG'S CLAIM TO AUTONOMY IN CULTURAL MATTERS.
(II) THE EXISTING CULTURAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN WESTERN COUNTRIES AND THE PRC PLACE CONTROL VERY MUCH IN THE HANDS OF CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT. THEY ALLOW IT, FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE AS RESTRICTIVE AS IT WISHES ABOUT DIRECT CONTACTS BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS. THESE AGREEMENTS ALSO SET QUOTAS FOR EXCHANGES AND SCHOLARSHIPS IN A WAY THAT EFFECTIVELY GIVES THE CPG THE POWER TO DECIDE WHICH OF ITS CITIZENS WILL BENEFIT FROM THEM. IN THE ABSENCE OF A SEPARATE AGREEMENT WITH HONG KONG, THERE IS THEREFORE A DANGER THAT REAL
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