SECRET
pa. PAC Conto
10k
010531
MDHIAN 0885
SECRET
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 2808OOZ FCO
TELNO 1424
OF 280737Z OCTOBER 93
INFO DESKBY 28080OZ HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG ·
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR PS/GH
(104)
TCP COPY SCT?
pa.
Kay's file.
YOUR TELNO 931 TO HONG KONG: FAC REPORT ON CHINA/HONG KONG: REQUEST FOR EVIDENCE FROM AN FCO LEGAL ADVISER
#
1 I have discussed this with members of my team here for the electoral talks.
2.
Our joint advice is that we should aim to field a senior and authoritative legal adviser, if possible the Legal Adviser himself, or if he is not available, a senior Deputy. The Legal Adviser could be flanked by Miss Brooks if she was available. Whether a policy official should also attend is a matter for decision in London: although we note that the Clerk has not asked for one.
3. On the substance, the first two questions in the Clerk's Letter are straightforward, and could be dealt with authoritatively by an FCO Legal Adviser. The trickiest is of course the third. On that, the FCO representatives will need careful briefing. There is plenty of material available, primarily in the commentary on the exchange of letters when these were published last October, and in the correspondence with Lord Shawcross. We suggest that our broad approach should be that a number of the issues were discussed in the 1990 exchanges: that these messages were not cast in the form of a binding international agreement: that the exchanges were in any case inconclusive as regards arrangements for the 1994/95 elections: and that further discussions were therefore required, which are now underway.
MCLAREN
HKB 01118
YYYY
RECE
Y
001
ily.
PAGE
SECRET
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.