TNAG-2743-FCO40-3958-Visits-by-Commonwealth-officials--ministers-and-public-figur-1993 — Page 111

ONI SO

Our reference:

Your reference:

File

As sent by fex 15/3/93

HOME OFFICE

Queen Anne's Gate London SW1H 9AT

Direct line: 071-273-

Switchboard: 071-2993300

116

15 March 1993

Ms R S Moore

Hong Kong Department

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

Dear Jean B

док

HKB 020/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

26 M OFFICER

REGISTRY Apfior. Taken:

THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG'S LINKS WITH THE COMMONWEALTH

Thank you for your letter of 9 March, to Ray Smith, asking for comments on some draft material on legal assistance issues arising from the severance of Hong Kong's links with the Commonwealth.

Our interest is in what is said about the Commonwealth Fugitive Offenders Scheme. What is said in annex E seems fine except that the reference to "2 years imprisonment" (line 6) should, we think, read "12 months imprisonment". We would also add that there is a clear UK interest in making good progress with negotiations for new bilateral treaties, not least because they may help us resist increasing "China point" challenges to our extraditions to Hong Kong in the interim.

C2 has nothing else to add. Items 2 and 3 in Annex E would seem to be for the Lord Chanceller's Department.

aß

sincerdany

MAR192.pbs

CAROLINE MACREADY