GRS 1400
SECRET
DESKDY 01073OZ FCO
SECRET
FM HONG KONG 0104352 AUG 34
TO FLASH PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 759 OF 01 AUGUST
INFO IMMEDIATE F C 0, TOKYO
FOLLOWING FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY.
HERTOR COPY
SVED IN S
1 AUG 1984
AT KEB
FUTURE OF HONG KONG: SECRETARY OF STATE'S PRESS CONFERENCE STATEMENT
1. FOLLOWING IS THE FINAL TEXT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OPENING STATEMENT AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE AT 1630 LOCAL TIME TODAY. IT INCLUDES AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED AT HIS MEETING WITH EXCO THIS MORNING. (FCO WILL NEED TO CHECK TEXT AGAINST DELIVERY BEFORE DEPOSITING COPIES IN THE LIBRARY OF THE HOUSE)
141
BEGINS
WHEN I WAS IN HONG KONG LAST WEEK I SAID THAT I WOULD KEEP YOU INFORMED ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS IN PEKING. I KNOW VERY WELL HOW CRUCIAL THEY ARE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. SO I WELCOME THIS
CHANCE TO BRING YOU UP TO DATE.
MY VISIT TO PEKING WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. I WAS ABLE TO HAVE LONG DISCUSSIONS WITH FOREIGN MINISTER WU XUEQIAN, PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG AND CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING.
E
THE PURPOSE OF MY VISIT WAS:
- TO REVIEW PROGRESS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS:
- TO MAKE REAL HEADWAY ON THE REMAINING ISSUES:
AND ABOVE ALL, TO STRIVE FOR THE BEST POSSIBLE RESULT FOR THE PEOPL
OF HONG KONG, THAT IS MY OVERRIDING OBJECTIVE.
I AM GLAD TO SAY THAT VERY SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE.
WE HAVE AGREED:
FIRST, THE FRAMEWORK AND KEY CLAUSES OF AN AGREEMENT WHICH WILL PRESERVE HONG KONG'S UNIQUE ECONOMIC SYSTEM AND WAY OF LIFE:
- SECONDLY, THAT THIS AGREEMENT AND ITS ANNEXES WILL ALL BE
LEGALLY BINDING:
-
THIRDLY, SATISFACTORY PROVISIONS FOR LIAISON AND CONSULTATION AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE AGREEMENT.
IN ADDITION, THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT WILL APPLY IN HONG KONG FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997 WILL BE PRESCRIBED WITH SUFFICIENT CLARITY AND PRECISION TO COMMAND THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVES, WORK, TRADE AND INVEST HERE.
SECRET
/ THIS