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concessions from the Chinese but their value will only be known in time and he closes with the remark that "the majority of Hong Kong people who have neither a fat bank balance nor connections abroad are resigned to their fate which is now irrevocably linked to that of the PRC".
Elke Korff, Peking correspondent for Frankfurt's financial daily, Börsenzeitung, wrote a lead article entitled "Scepticism in Hong Kong". The complex issue of a British passport
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envy of Hong Kong's freedom and prosperity which could lead to later disturbances in the rest of China are two of the problems which Hong Kong must face, she writes. In addition, there are no guarantees that China will not develop other than economic priorities at some stage or that censure by foreign governments will act as a constraint. In Korff's words: "China is a desirable partner in so many areas that it is difficult to imagine, even in the medium term, that its treatment of Hong Kong could throw a shadow on its image which would weigh more heavily than the concrete advantages of a good relationship with the Middle Kingdom. "
Willem van Kemenade, Far East correspondent for Rotterdam's liberal evening paper, NRC Handelsblad, writes that the Agreement is the "most unique diplomatic document of the twentieth century" in an article entitled "Hong Kong's Destiny Depends on Political Developments in China". He points out that the Chinese English language version and the British version differ, citing for example that the latter is called a Draft Agreement and includes a nine page introduction which states that the Agreement is legally binding. The Chinese English language version on the other hand is called a Joint Declaration, has no introduction and is only "equally binding". But, he notes, it is the contents which are important and the fact that the Agreement must be seen as the first step which will be followed by the formulation of a Basic Law for Hong Kong. The article closes with the comment that, should Deng's pragmatic "open door" policy ever be terminated, then "Hong Kong will be as defenceless as a goldfish among sharks".