17
FCO Circular: Date:
388/90
22 October 1990
All Functional Departments and Missions to International Organisations
EXTENSION TO HONG KONG OF INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
1. Under guidelines agreed in 1986, HMG must consult the Chinese Government if we intend to apply to Hong Kong an international agreement (which gives rise to new international rights or obligations) and we want it to continue to apply to Hong Kong after 1997. We must also consult the Chinese on any amendments or modifications to existing international rights and obligations. Under the guidelines, the Chinese have 40 days to consider our proposals; in practice they can take longer.
2.
It is important that Functional Departments are aware of these requirements since they often deal with ratification of new international agreements or extension of them to Dependent Territories. There may also be other
considerations which apply to Hong Kong, but not to other Dependent Territories, because of the transfer of
sovereignty in 1997. Functional Departments and NTD should therefore ensure that HKD is consulted at an early stage whenever it is proposed that new international rights and obligations should be extended to Hong Kong.
LOPAEF
A R Paul
Hong Kong Department
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