TNAG-2530-FCO40-3700-Hong-Kong-future-membership-of-the-Permanent-International-A-1992 — Page 4

HEN

香港道路協會有限公司

HONG KONG HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION LIMITED

P.O. BOX 38125 HING FAT STREET • POST OFFICE

Our Ref: PIARC-01/92/SP

16th November 1992

BY FAX

BY MAIL

J.A. Turnbull, CBE, Esq

Chairman

Permanent International Association of Road Congresses

British National Committee

Room 4/78 St Christopher House

Southwark Street

London SE1 OTE

Dear Mr. Tumbull

I am grateful for the papers relating to your 1992 Annual General Meeting sent to me by Mr. A.R. Doherty, which are most informative.

I thought it only reasonable to allow the dust to settle before drawing your attention to the two bodies in Hong Kong of whom I am aware, who are members of the British National Committee (BNC) and who will at some stage have to consider future relationships with the BNC, in the context of Hong Kong's own future.

The two bodies are the Highways Department of the Hong Kong Government and this Association, of which I am currently President. Whereas Highways Department have been members of BNC for years, because they are a government department, they have, from time to time, found their freedom of action circumscribed in ways which we, being a body independent of government, have not encountered. It was in fact a proposal to host a Regional Conference in association with the International Road Federation (IRF) in the early 80s that bought us into being, simply because certain countries not then enjoying diplomatic relations with Hong Kong were planning to participate. By being independent of government we were able to contemplate such an association without embarrassment.

With the coming handover of the Crown Colony of Hong Kong by Britain to mainland China in July 1997, we have to consider whether it would continue to be appropriate to belong to PIARC as a branch of the BNC. If not, it seems to me that, through your good offices, it would be possible for one or both of the Hong Kong branches to become a full member of PIARC. Many professional and industry based associations with similar connections are facing similar moves.

Continued.....

CHAIRMAN

David Morris

8681111

SECRETARY

Timothy LI 8066280

TREASURER

CN Wong

COUNCIL MEMBERS

HONORARY MEMBERS

lan Reid

FS Y Bong

D B Slater

SC Ho

A J Walker

JM K Chow

N K Chan

H C Beaton