OO PEKING
GRS 1610
CONFIDENTIAL
FUTURE EGRET
CONFIDENTIAL
FUTURE EGRET
FM FCO 041400Z DECEMBER 84
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1488 OF 4 DECEMBER 1984
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
гоб
TOP COPY
3923 1
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HKK 040157
RECEIVED IN REC
5 DEC 1984
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
Так
MIPT:
FUTURE EGRET: PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH IN HONG KONG
FOLLOWING IS DRAFT:
GISTRY
tion Taken
1.
YESTERDAY IN PEKING PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG AND I SIGNED THE
SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION ON HONG KONG. IT IS FITTING THAT
THIS DOCUMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY TWO PRIME MINISTERS.
THOSE SIGNATURES RECOGNISED THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
DOCUMENT ITSELF. THEY SIGNIFIED ALSO THE COMMITMENT OF OUR TWO
GOVERNMENTS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL TO THE FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE AGREEMENT.
2.
THROUGHOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS MY OVERRIDING CONCERN WAS THE
FUTURE OF A COMMUNITY FOR WHICH BRITAIN HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR
NEARLY 150 YEARS. THE GROWTH OF HONG KONG IN THE POST-WAR YEARS,
ITS ECONOMIC SUCCESS EVEN IN DIFFICULT TIMES, TESTIFIES TO THE
SUCCESS OF ITS ADMINISTRATION. IT PROVIDES THE FRAMEWORK WITHIN
WHICH HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP TO THE FULL THEIR
REMARKABLE TALENTS. IT PROVIDED A RESPONSIVE AND RESPONSIBLE
GOVERNMENT, SUBJECT TO THE RULE OF LAW. WHATEVER THE HISTORICAL
CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND
BRITAIN BEGAN, THE LEGACY OF THAT ASSOCIATION CAN BE A SOURCE OF
JUSTIFIABLE PRIDE FOR US ALL.
3. I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE AGREEMENT, WHICH RESULTED FROM TWO
YEARS OF INTENSE NEGOTIATION, IS A GOOD ONE. IT WILL ENABLE THE
PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO CONTINUE TO FACE THE FUTURE WITH
CONFIDENCE. IT HAS BEEN VERY WIDELY RECOGNISED, IN HONG KONG AND
ABROAD, THAT IT PROVIDES FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS IN YOUR UNIQUE SOCIETY. AN OBJECTIVE PROCESS OF
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CONFIDENTIAL FUTURE EGRET