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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

the Duty Lawyer Scheme accords to defendants in the magistracies that independent representation of their interests essential to the proper administration of justice in any legal system.

Foreign Relations

The British Government is responsible for the foreign relations of Hong Kong. Within the Hong Kong Government advice on foreign affairs questions, other than those concerned with trade, is provided by the Political Adviser and his staff, who are seconded from HM Diplomatic Service.

External Commercial Relations

Hong Kong has considerable latitude in the management of its external commercial relations. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the basic aim of which is to liberalise world trade and protect the most-favoured-nation principle, is the cornerstone of Hong Kong's external trade relations. The Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA), which aims at the orderly development and expansion of international trade in textiles, provides the framework within which Hong Kong negotiates bilateral restraint agreements with textiles importing countries.

Under GATT rules, Hong Kong, being a separate customs territory (from the United Kingdom), is treated as if it were a separate contracting party to the GATT. Hong Kong, because of its status as a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, is represented in the GATT by the United Kingdom speaking on behalf of Hong Kong. When the United Kingdom joined the EEC, the GATT was informed by Her Majesty's Government that a member of the United Kingdom delegation would continue to speak for Hong Kong. In practice, the United Kingdom spokesman in GATT meetings is invariably a Hong Kong Government official. This arrangement means that Hong Kong is able to take positions that are different from those of the EEC, and by implication, the United Kingdom.

London Office and other Representative Offices Overseas

The Hong Kong Government has offices in London, Geneva, Washington and Brussels, mainly to maintain and improve commercial relationships with other countries. In November, the intention to establish a new overseas office in New York, with effect from April 1983, was announced.

The London Office, with an establishment of 107 posts in 1982-3, is the largest and carries the widest range of functions among the overseas offices. It provides a point of direct contact in London between Hong Kong and departments of the British Government, Members of Parliament, and organisations with an interest in Hong Kong. It keeps under review British commercial, economic and industrial developments and official thinking on world-wide trade policies, and advises the Hong Kong Government about the likely repercussions of these developments on Hong Kong. It is concerned with the welfare of Hong Kong residents in Britain, maintains contact with them, and helps with problems arising from their living in Britain or relating to their families and interests in Hong Kong. It operates well-developed publicity services aimed at projecting Hong Kong's image to the British public and the Chinese community in Britain. It also has special sections to look after the interests of Hong Kong students, including nurses and government trainees in Britain.

Details of representation overseas are at Appendix 2.