TNAG-2716-FCO40-3922-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 199

1993-10-27 18:03 COMMITTEE OFFICE H of C

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Quintin Eyre-Wilson Esq

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

COMMITTEE OFFICE

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FAC/92-93/0646

27 October 1993

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IN.

As I explained, the Committee has asked me to arrange at such short notice, evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday 3 November 1993 from a panel of lawyers in the Committee's inquiry into relations with China in the period up to and beyond 1997.

The Committee has asked if one of the FCO legal advisers could give evidence as one of the panel. I am in the process of contacting other possible witnesses and will let you know the names of other witnesses as soon as possible.

As you know, this evidence session follows the Committee's recent visit to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. During the visit the Committee had extensive meetings with ministers and politicians in Peking, and with the Governor, members of LegCo and others in Hong Kong about, inter alia, the Governor's constitutional proposals, which are the subject of negotiations between the British and the Chinese governments.

Issues the Committee may wish to ask witnesses about on 3 November are:

the status in international law of the Basic Law;

the relative status of the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law and the exchange of letters in 1990 between the UK Foreign Secretary and the Chinese government;

The extent to which the proposals for the 1994-1995 elections in Hong Kong confer with or conflict with the above.

L

Helen Irwin Clerk of the Committee