I
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
M M Hall Esq
The Hague
Telephone 01- 233 3550
130
Your reference
Our reference
Date
Inf 021/3
НКК 040/20
14 November 1984
Bear Michad,
HONG KONG AGREEMENT:
DUTCH PRESS REACTION
HKK
RECEIVED
040/20.
16 NOV 1984
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
TAKO 800
I am sorry that you have
1 Thank you for your letter of 18 October to Christopher Hum which has been passed to me. not received an earlier reply.
we have
2. It would seem, from the information contained in your letter, that Dutch press reaction to the draft agreement has generally been in line with media reaction in other third countries. This too has described the agreement as the best agreement possible in the circumstances and one which provides reassurance about Hong Kong's future. As to whether future Chinese Governments will honour the agreement, no reason to suppose that they will not. The arrangements for Hong Kong's future are set out in an international agreement, legally binding upon the parties to it, and represent the outcome of negotiations into which Chinese entered freely. China is justifiably proud of its record in meeting obligations with international agreements.
3.
we and the
7/
We were rather surprised be some of the assertions in the "NRC Handelsblad" and de Volksrant". Whilst it is true that different, purely descriptive titles have been given to the agreement on the respective covers of the British and Chinese (English Language) versions, the agreed title is faithfully reproduced in the text of each at the head of the Joint Declaration. (see page 11 of the White Paper) The Joint Declaration and its Annexes constitute a legally binding international agreement. In this respect it is no different from any other treaty.
RESTRICTED
/4.
It