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acceptable to HMG if the PRC for their part were willing to
acknowledge that the agreed date would not be fixed until a
substantial number of years had passed and that any date
fixed would be such as to allow a transitional period during
which new arrangements for the administration of the
territory as part of the PRC acceptable to a majority of the
inhabitants could be worked out. It is, however, unlikely
to be attractive to the Chinese, because it would not
sufficiently meet their political requirement for tangible
recognition of their sovereignty soon.
Acknowledgement of Chinese sovereignty in 1997 coupled with
fresh arrangements
13.
It might be possible for the UK and the PRC to enter
forma
cal international agree-
into arrangements (whether by [a
ment or otherwise) under which the UK would continue to
administer Hong Kong on the same lines as hitherto and have
power to conduct external relations in respect of Hong Kong
on condition that the UK relinquished its sovereignty over
the ceded parts of the colony when the international lease
of the New Territories expired.
14.
of
There are many earlier examples of the exercise by
the UK or jurisdiction in the territory of another state over
have
which the UK did not posess sovereignty (eg Brunei, Tonga,
the Persian Gulf States, the Malay States, Zanzibar) and
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/provision