The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and has the honor to enclose the English translation of a letter, dated June 17, 1997, transmitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations by His Excellency Mr. Wang Xuexian, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Acting Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations at New York.
July 3, 1997
[Translation]
To: H. E. Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, New York
New York, 17 June 1997
Your Excellency,
In accordance with the Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and North Ireland on the Question of Hong Kong signed on 19 December 1984, the People's Republic of China will resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong with effect from 1 July 1997. Hong Kong will, with effect from that date, become a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and will enjoy a high degree of autonomy, except in foreign and defense affairs which are the responsibility of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China.
In this connection, I am instructed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China to make the following notification:
The Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms against Unauthorized Duplication of their Phonograms (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention"), to which the Government of the People's Republic of China acceded on 5 January 1993, will apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with effect from 1 July 1997.
The Government of the People's Republic of China will assume responsibility for the international rights and obligations arising from the application of the Convention to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
It would be appreciated if the contents of the Note could be placed formally on record and brought to the attention of the other Parties to the Convention.
Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.
(signed)
Wang Xuexian
Acting Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary