dti
the department for Enterprise
(2
CC MR woods.
MS Наксоск
Mr R Northern
FCO/SEND
Room 023
Downing Street East
London SW1
HKC 1932
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
Direct line
215 8229
Our ref
Your ref
Date
15 February 1990
Dear Mr Northern
CB 1990
DECK OFFICE
TRY
motion Taken
Rot
fm
19/2
Department of Trade and Industry
Kingsgate House 66-74 Victoria Street London SWIE 6SW
Enquiries
01-215 5000
Telex 936069 DTIKH G
Fax 01-931 0397
FØR
HONG KONG: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FØR INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS (TELEX NO 465′FROM HONG KONG TO FCO 7
FEBRUARY)
We discussed briefly over the phone last week the telex sent to you by the Hong Kong Post Office concerning their request for authorisation to begin formal discussions with external Telecommunication Administrations in connection with so-called "IVAN" services.
As you know, there was discussion and correspondence on this matter in the middle of last year involving Jonathan Phillips here and your colleagues, Messrs Woods, Hague and Chamberlain. For convenience, I attach a copy of Jonathan Phillips' letter to Mr Woods of 31 July and subsequent letter of 4 August to Mr Wong in the HKPO.
From the letter to Mr Wong you will note that the HKPO was informed that if they wish to enter into "arrangements" with foreign governments in the context of the ITU Regulations they would require authority from the UK to proceed. However, it was stated that we saw no difficulty with such authority being provided and that this could be general rather than one specific to the Japanese situation (with which exploratory discussions were then taking place). Instead of the provision of formal authority we made reference to a possible unilateral declaration approach. As is evident from the recent telex, the HKPO do not wish to pursue this latter course of action.
Mr Wong called on us last week to discuss recent developments on the IVAN issue, together with the some of the more purely telecommunication-oriented aspects of the proposed arrangements. The discussion culminated in our agreement to recommend to you a favourable and expeditious response to their request for formal authorisation in order that they may
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