TNAG-2598-FCO40-3786-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 99

CONFIDENTIAL

HKAH

CONFIDENTIAL

FM PEKING

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELNO 310

OF 280851Z FEBRUARY 89

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, HOLY SEE

161315

MDLIAN 0800

EATHE

A42.

HOLY SEE TELNOS 11 AND 13 AND HONG KONG TELNO 662.

VATICAN OFFICE IN HONG KONG.

1 WE NO LONGER HOLD THE RELEVANT 1985 PAPERS AND ARE THEREFORE

UNSIGHTED ON PREVIOUS DISCUSSION OF PROPOSALS TO OPEN A VATICAN

OFFICE IN HONG KONG. NOR CAN WE COMMENT ON THE LEGAL AND PROTOCOL

PROBLEMS SUCH AN OFFICE WOULD POSE FOR HKG.

2. WE DO NOT (NOT) THINK THAT THE CHINESE WOULD RAISE MAJOR

OBJECTIONS TO THE EXISTENCE OF A VATICAN OFFICE IN HONG KONG

BEFORE 1997. DESPITE SOME MANOEUVRING LAST YEAR, RELATIONS

BETWEEN THE VATICAN AND PEKING REMAIN DEADLOCKED OVER THE VATICAN'S

RECOGNITION OF THE R O C, AND WE AGREE THAT THE CURRENT PROPOSAL IN NO WAY IMPLIES ''DE-RECOGNITION'' CHONG KONG T U R PARA 5). HOWEVER, BEARING IN MIND THE SIZE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC POPULATION IN HONG KONG AND THE RECENT ELEVATION OF CARDINAL WU, WE SEE POSSIBLE ADVANTAGE IN BREAKING THE LINK WITH THE TAIPEI NUNCIATURE BEFORE 1997. THE CHINESE MIGHT ALSO WELCOME THIS, AS WELL AS THE CREATION OF AN ADDITIONAL CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION TO THE VATICAN

IN HONG KONG.

3. THE CHINESE RESPONSE WOULD PROBABLY DEPEND ON THE STATUS OF THE PROPOSED OFFICE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE ALREADY DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN HONG KONG OF STATES WHICH ARE NOT IN DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE P R C (E.G. SOUTH KOREA AND ISRAEL), THE CHINESE WOULD BE SENSITIVE ABOUT THE GRANTING OF PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES TO A NEW OFFICE. THEY WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY SEE SUCH ACTION AS DESIGN TO SECURE THE CONTINUATION OF PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES AFTER 1997. THUS FROM THE CHINESE POINT OF VIEW, THE LESS WE CAN GET AWAY WITH GIVING THE VATICAN BY WAY OF FORMAL STATUS, PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES THE BETTER.

4. IN RETURNING TO THE VATICAN WE SUGGEST THAT WE EXPLAIN IN DETAIL THE DIFFICULTIES IDENTIFIED IN HONG KONG T U R AND EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OFFICE ON A LESS

1

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