TNAG-2109-FCO40-3008-Outer-Space-Act-1986-extension-to-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 440

CONFIDENTIAL

布政司署

香港下亞畢道

U ETA

Mr Hague (63)

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

本署檔號 OUR REF:

SGD 2/02/9 'A'

來函檔號 YOUR REF:

J. Usher, Esq.,

нес Esle

Hong Kong Department,

23115

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Dean 11. Usher,

Kevin Ho.

is

Registe

20 June 1989

Back to

plane

Proposed Extension of the Outer Space Act (1986) to Hong Kong

e on file

24 30/6

Copied to J. Bandt

Сорил

for comments

I refer to your letter of 25 April 1989 to

Given the recent developments in China it uncertain whether the ASIASAT project will proceed as planned. On the assumption that the project will eventually go ahead, we have been considering how best to implement the relevant international rights and obligations applied to Hong Kong.

We do not favour extension of the Outer Space Act. The reason, as you will appreciate, is that that would in due course involve consultation with the Chinese for the purpose of localising the Act. We are therefore minded to prepare instead new local legislation, and will keep you informed of developments.

1972

We envisage that our legislation will be modelled on the Outer Space Act. It appears to us that the Act implements provisions in the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, the Convention on International Liability for Damage caused by Space Objects, and the 1975 Convention on Registra- tion of Objects Launched into Outer Space. Grateful if you would clarify whether the Act also implements other international agreements (e.g. the Agreement

on Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space).

SEND

13/7

CONFIDENTIAL

/Given