TNAG-2857-FCO40-4110-Satellite-Licensing-and-Asia-Satellite-Telecommunications-Co-1993 — Page 90

CODE 18-77

Ms Barrett

Ms Brooks

Legal Advisers

192/1

Reference

CONFIDEEGEXED IN REGISTRY

20 JAN 1993

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taker:

ра

Satellites

3.

HONG KONG: PROPOSAL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AUTONOMOUS SATELLITE LICENSING REGIME

191/1 192

(3. folio

1. I attach Hong Kong telno 2524 and FCO telno 24 on the above subject. The Hong Kong telegram (sent in October) details HKG's latest ideas on the future of satellite licensing in Hong Kong up to 1997 and beyond. In December I attended a meeting at the British National Space Centre at which Andrew Pyne and Tony Wong from HKG explained these ideas in more detail. The latest telegram, cleared with BNSC, gives a cautious welcome to the new ideas and asks HKG to come up with concrete proposals for our consideration.

2. The foundation of the proposed new licensing regime will be an arrangement whereby HKG indemnifies HMG against any liabilities arising from the operation of satellites licensed in Hong Kong. Hong Kong suggest that the basis for such an arrangement already exists and quote a 1987 letter from the Legal Adviser to Hong Kong (para 4 of telno 2524). The general idea is to localise as much as possible the satellite licensing regime for Hong Kong, in the hope that this will lessen the likelihood of satellite licensing getting enmeshed in Peking bureaucracy after 1997.

3.

Hong Kong tell me that a formal paper is being prepared now by the HK Post Office. It will then be cleared with ILD. They want to hand it to us by the end of March in the hope that a new system can be put in place by the beginning of next year, in time for the licensing of the next satellite.

4. In the meantime it would be very helpful to have your initial thoughts on HKG's outline proposals. BNSC are also consulting their legal advisers: specifically Hugh Bailey (Room 218, DTI, 10-18 Victoria Street, tel 215-3400). If there are any obvious problems with the proposals it would be very useful to be able to alert HKG before they produce any finalised proposals.

Jarathon Marshall

J N Marshall

Hong Kong Department WH305 270-3287

14 January 1993

cc: Clare Losty, ESED

Mr Marshall

This has been

beer passed

passed to me.

Grateful if you could let me

know

What international obligations we have entered into in respect of Hk which

pertain to satelliteo редай

the

+

prezime

previous corespondence must

CONFIDENTIAL contain some reference to

a treaty

a treaties,

With Banitt 19/1/93

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