TNAG-2716-FCO40-3922-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 70

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participates

e.g. the Asian

Development Bank, the Economic

and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and

the International Maritime Organization. There are still

about 100 treaties left for discussion, even though the

British side handed over to the Chinese side papers on them,

in most cases a considerable time ago.

4.

Moreover, there has been little progress in

determining the method by which the two sides must ensure the

continued application of the multilateral treaties to which

China is not a party. The British side put forward detailed

proposals on this question in early 1989 but, despite further

efforts

in the

sensitivities, it

to a conclusion.

meantime on our part to meet Chinese

has not been possible to bring the matter

without agreement on such a mechanism,

treaties to which China is not a party will no longer apply

to Hong Kong after 1 July 1997 and in the run up to that date

there will be increasing uncertainty and confusion in the

international community as to Hong Kong's future position in

regard to these treaties.

I should now like to turn to the question of Bilateral

Agreements

5.

Over the years the UK also extended a large network

of bilateral agreements to Hong Kong in a variety of

practical areas, for example, air services, extradition,

investment promotion and protection, enforcement of judgments

in civil and commercial matters, and visa abolition. In

addition, Hong Kong has benefitted from its inclusion within

various effective informal Commonwealth Schemes for the

surrender of fugitive offenders and the recognition

enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters.

and

On

1 July 1997 all these agreements and arrangements will automatically lapse.