TNAG-2716-FCO40-3922-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 23

SECRET

- 9 -

@

L.

K.2

Senior

[If raised instigated by us.

The Hong Kong Policy Act was not Natural that HK's trading partners are interested in its stability and prosperity and in successful implementation of the JD.]

figures have said that the UK will continue to have a moral responsibility towards Hong Kong for 50

after years

1997.

is This

a blatant

to attempt interfere in the affairs of the PRC.

As we have consistently made clear, the question of Hong Kong is a bilateral matter until 1997, when it becomes an internal affair of the PRC. (MFA spokesman, Zhou Nan Mirror Magazine Interview of 13 January.)

Rebuttal

L

M.

Notice

The JD lays down basic policies concerning Hong Kong. It guarantees they will remain unchanged for 50

years from 1 July 1997. As a party to the JD the British Government has a legitimate interest under international law in ensuring

are implemented. Furthermore the JD lays down that the JLG will continue to meet until 30 June 2000.

that these

guarantees

that the British side are attempting to play the Taiwan card. Recently the British Hong Kong Government has been in touch with the Taiwan Government and even some advocates of independence for Taiwan. Mirror Magazine.)

Rebuttal

(Zhou Nan

N.

M.

1

The Taiwan at

Governor

met three industrialists from the request of the Hong Kong General Hsu was not a member of

Chamber of Commerce. the Taiwanese Government. Peng Mingmin merely transitted Hong Kong. He did not hold any press conferences there nor did he make any statements of a political nature. Our policy on Taiwan remains as set out in the 1972 communique.

The exchange of letters between the two Foreign Ministers in early 1991 constitutes an international

as defined in agreement

the Vienna Convention on Treaties. (Wen Wei Po article of 2 February.)

Rebuttal

N.1

-

AS a party to the Vienna Convention on Treaties

agree to your interpretation of it.

cannot

we believed it

registered

it

If

was

તે

with

would treaty we the UN as the

have Vienna

Convention requires.