*
COUNTRIES AND REGIONS OF THE WORLD, PARTICULARLY WITH MANY COUNTRIES AND REGIONS IN ASIA. THE SATISFACTORY SOLUTION OF THE HONG KONG
CSTION IS OF BENEFIT TO THE MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THESE
TYPES OF ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND IS ALSO OF BENEFIT TO PEACE AND
STABILITY IN ASIA AND THE WORLD. THE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN
CHINA AND BRITAIN ON THE HONG KONG QUESTION PROVIDES FRESH EXPERIENCE
FOR THE PEACEFUL SOLUTION OF QUESTIONS BETWEEN NATIONS LEFT OVER
FROM HISTORY, AND HAS ALREADY PRODUCED A FAVOURABLE REACTION
INTERNATIONALLY. THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UN, MR PERES DE
CUELLAR, POINTED OUT THAT THE MANNER IN WHICH CHINA AND BRITAIN
SOLVED THE HONG KONG QUESTION SHOULD BE WIDELY EMULATED AS IT IS
EXACTLY WHAT IS MOST NEEDED IN THE PRESENT INTERNATIONAL SITUATION.
CHINA BELIEVES THAT ISSUES LEFT OVER BY HISTORY AS WELL AS NEW
DISPUTES BETWEEN STATES CAN BE RESOLVED PROVIDED THE COUNTRIES
CONCERNED ADOPT A SINCERE ATTITUDE AND CONDUCT FRIENDLY CONSULTATIONS
AND DISCUSSIONS ON THE BASIS OF THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF PEACEFUL
CO-EXISTENCE (MUTUAL RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER'S SOVEREIGNTY AND
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, MUTUAL NON-AGGRESSION, NON-INTERFERENCE
IN EACH OTHER'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS, EQUALITY AND MUTUAL BENEFIT AND
'PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE).
(111) THE SUCCESSFUL SOLUTION OF THE HONG KONG QUESTION MARKS THE
BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA IN THE FRIENDLY AND COOPERATIVE RELATIONS
BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN.
FOLLOWING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA,
PARTICULARLY SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FORMAL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN, SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS HAVE DEVELOPED
WELL ON THE BASIS OF THE FIVE PRINCIPLES OF PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE.
NOW, THE TWO GOVERNMENTS IN A SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION
AND MUTUAL ACCOMMODATION AND UNDERSTANDING HAVE REACHED A SATISFACTOR
Y
AGREEMENT ON THE HONG KONG QUESTION THROUGH PEACEFUL NEGOTIATION.
THIS HAS REMOVED THE OBSTACLE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS
BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. IT IS IN THE COMMON INTEREST OF CHINA
AND BRITAIN TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY.
WE BELIEVE THAT CHINA AND BRITAIN, IN THE SAME SPIRIT OF FRIENDLY COOPERATION WHICH MARKED THE PROCESS OF TALKS, WILL COOPERATE STILL MORE CLOSELY DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD TO ENSURE THE SMOOTH
AND EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT. WE ALSO BELIEVE
THAT WITH THE SUCCESSFUL SOLUTION OF THE HONG KONG QUESTION THE
FRIENDLY AND COOPERATIVE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL
BE FURTHER CONSOLIDATED AND DEVELOPED.
NOW, I HAVE THE HONOUR ON BEHALF OF THE STATE COUNCIL TO SUBMIT