CONFIDENTIAL
47
017265
MDLIAN 6524
this 107/1
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1342
OF 19015OZ MAY 92
INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONGKONG
32
HONKONG
TOP COPY Q DIST?
OUR TELNO 176 HONG KONG'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE ADB.
1915
FURTHER TO TUR, WE DULY DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH PETER SULLIVAN, ADB'S GENERAL COUNSEL, IN THE MARGINS OF THE ADB ANNUAL MEETING IN HONG KONG.
2. SULLIVAN'S ADVICE IS THAT, WITH ARRANGEMENTS HAVING BEEN MADE WITH ESCAP FOR HONG KONG TO CONTINUE AS AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER AFTER 1997, HE FORESAW NO LEGAL OBSTACLE FOR HONG KONG TO CONTINUE AS AN ADB MEMBER POST-97. ALL THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY WAS FOR AN INFORMATION PAPER TO BE PUT TO THE ADB BOARD AFTER THE ESCAP HAD TAKEN THE NECESSARY STEPS IN 1996 TO CHANGE HONG KONG'S DESIGNATION ETC... FOR HONG KONG TO CONTINUE IN ESCAP AFTER 30 JUNE 97. THE INFORMATION PAPER WOULD BE A SHORT ONE, ENCLOSING THE UK LETTER OF 2 APRIL 86 AND THE EXCHANGE OF NOTES BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UK.
3. WE HAVE NO DIFFICULTY WITH SULLIVAN'S ADVICE OTHER THAN ON TIMING. WE BELIEVE THAT THE INFORMATION PAPER SHOULD BE CIRCULATED TO THE BOARD AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE TO PUT THE MATTER ON RECORD PROPERLY. THE ADB WOULD THEN ONLY NEED TO TAKE SOME TECHNICAL STEPS NEARER TO 1997 TO FORMALLY EFFECT A CHANGE IN HONG KONG'S NAME TO QUOTE HONG KONG, CHINA UNQUOTE AS FROM 1 JULY 1997. WE HAVE SO TOLD SULLIVAN.
4.
SULLIVAN ALSO MENTIONED THAT AMONG THE ADB MEMBERS, THE ONE MEMBER THAT HE FELT MIGHT HAVE PROBLEMS OVER THE MATTER WOULD BE TAIWAN BECAUSE THEY COULD BE SENSITIVE TO THE CONNOTATION OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE NAME FOR THEM. WE NOTE THIS MIGHT BE A POINT OF CONTENTION BUT FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD NOT AFFECT OUR NOTIFICATION TO THE BANK. (GIVEN THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY RESIGNED THEMSELVES TO BEING KNOWN TO THE ADB AS TAIPEI, CHINA WE WOULD DOUBT IF THEY WOULD PRESS THEIR POINT VERY FAR).
5. WE ARE NOW AWAITING A DRAFT INFORMATION PAPER FROM SULLIVAN AND WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON DEVELOPMENTS.
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