TNAG-2813-FCO40-4059-Future-of-Hong-Kong-International-Rights-and-Obligations-(IR-1993 — Page 4

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

HKC 03119

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

03 FEB 1993

FM HONG KONG

TELNO 158

TO ROUTINE FCO

OF 03050OZ FEBRUARY 193

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

2

131151

MDLIAN 1580

TOP COPY Q DIST?

pa.

JLG RESTRICTED

OUR TELNO 2899: IRO SUB-GROUP: MULTILATERAL TREATIES:

POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC.

1. AS FORESHADOWED IN EDWARDS' FAXED LETTER OF 8 JANUARY TO BROOKS, WE HAVE TODAY HANDED OVER THE THREE DISCUSSION PAPER ON SEVEN POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC TREATIES TOGETHER WITH A SHORT NOTE INFORMING THE CHINESE THAT ITEMS 15.1, 15.2, 15.4, 15.6, 15.12-15.16, AND 15.17(1), 15.18(1) AND 15.20 SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO LAPSE IN 1997.

2.

WE HAVE NOW HANDED OVER PAPERS ON ALMOST ALL THE MULTILATERAL TREATIES, EXCEPT THOSE ON CIVIL AVIATION, GATT AND ONE OUTSTANDING TREATY ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (PATENT CO-OPERATION TREATY). WE HAVE VERBALLY INFORMED THE CHINESE SIDE THAT WE ARE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE REMAINING FEW PAPERS BUT PREPARATION OF PAPERS ON GATT WOULD BE DEFERRED UNTIL CONCLUSION OF THE URUGUAY ROUND OF MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS.

3. DISCUSSION PAPERS ON ABOUT 110 TREATIES WHICH REMAIN OUTSTANDING ARE NOW IN THE CHINESE SIDE'S HANDS. WE SHALL CONTINUE TO PRESS THEM FOR AN IRO SUB-GROUP MEETING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

4. ON THE IMPORTANT QUESTION OF THE PRACTICAL MECHANISM FOR ENSURING THE CONTINUED APPLICATION OF MULTILATERAL IRO'S AFTER 1997, EDWARDS HAS WRITTEN TO PROFESSOR SHI JIUYONG WITH SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO CARRY THE MATTER FORWARD. A COPY OF THE LETTER WAS SENT BY BAG TO RICKETTS ON 26 JANUARY.

PATTEN

YYYY

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