Privileges and Immunities
The privileges and immunities granted to the HKETOs are the result of negotiations with the host governments and these vary from one office to another. In some cases, the host governments (such as the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany) had granted certain privileges and immunities to the HKETOs through dedicated domestic legislations.
At present, all 11 overseas HKETOs have been granted certain privileges and immunities by respective host governments to facilitate the HKETOs to discharge their duties without intervention. Broadly speaking, the privileges and immunities enjoyed by the HKETOs mainly include the inviolability of premises, official correspondence, archives and documents as well as the exemption of premises and representatives from taxation.
HKETO Berlin is the only regional representative office in Germany that has a quasi-diplomatic status.
Read more about this topic: Hong Kong Economic And Trade Office
Famous quotes containing the word privileges:
“We have been weakened in our resistance to the professional anti-Communists because we know in our hearts that our so-called democracy has excluded millions of citizens from a normal life and the normal American privileges of health, housing and education.”
—Agnes E. Meyer (1887–1970)