TNAG-2894-FCO40-4167-Hong-Kong-localisation-of-laws-carriage-of-goods-by-air-1994 — Page 50

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military purposes will be excluded from the scope of the amended Convention. While I sympathise with what the Hong Kong Government is trying to achieve, it seems inappropriate that these powers should be conferred on the Governor, nor do I think it is likely to be acceptable to the Chinese who are in any case sensitive on all civil aviation matters.

As a compromise however, I suggest that at the end of the last sentence of paragraph 11 after the words "the Governor", the words "after consultation with the state responsible for foreign affairs" are added to the last sentence. This would be more appropriate and is likely to be more palatable to the Chinese. I am, however, willing to consider alternative language if the Hong Kong Government suggests some.

4. I am minuting separately about the problem of Hong Kong's localising legislation conflicting with UK legislation in force if the Hong Kong legislation is brought into force before 1 July 1997, as appears to be proposed by the Hong Kong Government.

Shelagh Brooks,

Shelagh Brooks