TNAG-2285-FCO40-3286-Cooperation-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-on-criminal-matters-1991 — Page 3

22 November 1991

CONFIDENTIAL

Alan Harding C7 Division

Home Office

Queen Anne's Gate

LONDON

SW1H 9AT

HKB 38C/3

DIEU

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

37

File

London SWIA 2AH

Telephone: 071-

水

Dear Mr Harding,

HONG KONG: COOPERATION WITH CHINA ON CRIMINAL MATTERS

28

1. Thank you for your letter of 8 October to Mr Stone. It was useful to have your views and confirmation that the Home Office would not wish to be involved in considering cases in which Hong Kong proposes to provide China with evidence in criminal matters. I should like to let you know the outcome of the discussions on this issue.

2.

Since you wrote we have resubmitted to Ministers, recommending that the Foreign Office should not seek to become involved in each case but that we should establish a system with the Hong Kong Government whereby they consult us in advance on cases which they consider could cause political controversy. The Foreign Secretary has agreed that this is a reasonable compromise.

3. We have asked the Hong Kong Government to err on the side of caution in the initial stages of adopting these

procedures. We have also suggested that they hand over to the Chinese, simultaneously with any evidence, a statement of Hong Kong's policy on the death penalty.

Yours sincerely,

Puma Williams вина

E L Williams

Hong Kong Department

WADAAP

CONFIDENTIAL