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FULL-TIME IN PEKING AND CONSIDER DOCUMENTS TABLED BY BOTH SIDES. IN JULY 1984 THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY AGAIN VISITED PEKING. THE VISIT WAS DEVOTED ALMOST ENTIRELY TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. SIR GEOFFREY HOWE ANNOUNCED IN HONG KONG ON 1 AUGUST THAT VERY SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE TOWARDS AGREEMENT ON THE FORM AND CONTENT OF DOCUMENTS WHICH WOULD SET OUT ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE WITH CLARITY AND PRECISION, IN LEGALLY BINDING FORM.
13. SIR GEOFFREY ALSO ANNOUNCED ON THE SAME OCCASION THAT THE TWO SIDES HAD AGREED TO ESTABLISH A JOINT LIAISON GROUP WHICH WOULD COME INTO BEING WHEN THE AGREEMENT CAME INTO FORCE. IT WOULD MEET IN PEKING, LONDON AND HONG KONG UNTIL 1 JULY 1988 WHEN IT WOULD ESTABLISH ITS PRINCIPAL BASE IN HONG KONG, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD ALSO CONTINUE TO MEET THEREAFTER ALSO IN LONDON AND PEKING. IT WAS AGREED THAT THE GROUP WOULD NOT BE AN ORGAN OF POWER. ITS FUNCTIONS WOULD BE: LIAISON, CONSULTATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT, AND EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION. IT WAS AGREED THAT IT WOULD PLAY NO PART IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UP TO 1997.
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(SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN) LAST PHASE OF NEGOTIATIONS. (SQUARE BRACKETS END)
CONSULTATION WITH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG
15. FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE NEGOTIATIONS THE GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN CONSCIOUS THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS CONCERNED THE INTERESTS AND FUTURE OF THE FIVE AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. IT HAS BEEN THE GOVERNMENT'S CONSISTENT POSITION THAT ANY AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AS WELL AS TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
16. THE NEGOTIATIONS HAD TO BE CONDUCTED ON A BASIS OF CONFIDENTIALITY. THIS WAS CRUCIAL TO THEIR SUCCESS, BUT THE MAINTENANCE OF CONFIDENTIALITY ALSO CAUSED MUCH CONCERN AND ANXIETY AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHO WERE UNDERSTANDABLY ANXIOUS TO KNOW WHAT WAS BEING NEGOTIATED FOR THEIR FUTURE. OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AS THE
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