TNAG-2833-FCO40-4086-Air-service-agreements-between-Hong-Kong-and-other-countries-1993 — Page 60

"

REC

181/3

Mr Hall

AMD

R+R.

лов

9/10

From:

Date:

CC:

Miss S Brooks Legal Counsellor

5 October 1993

Mr Grainger, Assistant

Legal Adviser

Mr Bunten, HKD

993

Tuxe

M.

1

GRANTING OF AUTHORITY TO HONG KONG TO NEGOTIATE AIR SERVICE AGREEMENTS WITH NEW COUNTRIES

1. We spoke about this matter. I attach a draft entrustment. As you will see, I have used the word "states" which would exclude Taiwan. I mentioned to you my concern that we are

the

Government being asked for a blank cheque in authorising Hong Kong to

人 negotiate with any new country outside the separation programme. It may be that we would not wish them to negotiate with certain countries. The most difficult case would be Taiwan and this I have excluded. Other countries may, however, cause difficulty. I cannot imagine that the Hong Kong Government would wish to negotiate an air services agreement with North Korea, for example, but HMG would be politically embarrassed if the Hong Kong Government were to begin negotiations with the government of a country with which, for example, the UK had no diplomatic relations. The list of such countries is not a static list and even in the remaining three and a half years before 1 July 1997 new countries could be added. In any case, political considerations apart, air services difficulties for the UK could arise in certain cases. The Department of Transport may wish to consider whether the entrustment needs to be drafted in a more limited way than I have drafted it. In any case, we should ask the Hong Kong Government to inform us each time before they enter into negotiations. This request could be put in the covering letter accompanying the entrustment; it need not go in the entrustment itself.

Shelagh Brooks

Shelagh Brooks

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