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(UMELCO) PROVIDED INVALUABLE ADVICE TO THE GOVERNOR AND TO
MINISTERS ON THE COURSE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS AND ON THE ATTITUDE
OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
17.
AT A NUMBER OF CRUCIAL POINTS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS THE
GOVERNOR AND UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL VISITED LONDON FOR CONSULTATIONS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER AND OTHER
MINISTERS. BRITISH MINISTERS ALSO PAID A SERIES OF VISITS TO
HONG KONG, TO CONSULT THE GOVERNOR, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE
UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS AND
TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH OPINION IN THE TERRITORY. THE SECRETARY OF
STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS WAS ABLE TO DESCRIBE
THE APPROACH OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TO THE NEGOTIATIONS IN
HIS STATEMENT IN HONG KONG ON 20 APRIL 1984, AND TO FILL IN MORE
DETAILS OF THE CONTENT OF THE AGREEMENT IN A FURTHER STATEMENT IN
THE TERRITORY ON 1 AUGUST 1984. IN THE COURSE OF THE
NEGOTIATIONS, AND IN PARTICULAR SINCE THE STATEMENT OF 20 APRIL,
NUMEROUS INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS IN HONG KONG HAVE MADE SPECIFIC
PROPOSALS ON WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN AN EVENTUAL AGREEMENT.
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG HAS DEBATED THE FUTURE OF
THE TERRITORY ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS. HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT
HAS PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO THESE EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION
WHICH THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT HAS RELAYED TO MINISTERS AND TO VIEWS ABOUT THE FUTURE
EXPRESSED THROUGH A VARIETY OF CHANNELS BY AND THROUGH UMELCO,
THROUGH THE PRESS, THROUGH INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATIONS ADDRESSED TO
HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT OR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. IN THIS
WAY HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HAVE SOUGHT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE
VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE
DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS.
18. IN THE SAME WAY THE MAINTENANCE OF CONFIDENTIALITY HAS MADE
THE TASK OF CONSULTING PARLIAMENT ON THE NEGOTIATIONS MORE
DIFFICULT. DESPITE THIS THERE WERE DEBATES ON HONG KONG IN
OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 1983 AND IN MAY 1984, AND PART OF THE
FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEBATE IN MARCH 1984 WAS ALSO DEVOTED TO HONG
KONG. MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT HAVE KEPT IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH THE
PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, BOTH THROUGH VISITS TO THE TERRITORY AND
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