CONFIDENTIAL
FUTURE EGRET
3923
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ASSESSMENT HAS SHOWN THAT THE AGREEMENT AS A WHOLE IS ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE. THIS ASSESSMENT WAS REAL AND IT WAS
IMPORTANT. PARLIAMENT WOULD HAVE EXPECTED NO LESS BEFORE
APPROVING THE INTENTION OF THE GOVERNMENT TO CONCLUDE THE
AGREEMENT. WHERE THERE WERE RESERVATIONS EXPRESSED ON INDIVIDUAL POINTS IN THE AGREEMENT THESE WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE BEGIN THE TASK OF PUTTING THE AGREEMENT INTO EFFECT.
4.
IT IS VERY NATURAL THAT, WITH AN AGREEMENT OF THIS KIND, PEOPLE SHOULD ASK WHETHER ITS FAR-REACHING PROVISIONS WILL IN THE EVENT BE IMPLEMENTED. THERE IS NO ABSOLUTE GUARANTEE IN THIS
WORLD OF ANYTHING. BUT I BRING TO YOU THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE
COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT. WE SHALL DO OUR UTMOST TO ENSURE THAT THE AGREEMENT WORKS. AND I BRING FROM
MY TALKS IN PEKING WITH THE MOST SENIOR CHINESE LEADERS A SIMILAR COMMITMENT. THEY ASSURED ME FOR THEIR PART THAT THE AGREEMENT WOULD BE FAITHFULLY IMPLEMENTED. (OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS) INSERT
ANY USABLE QUOTATION FROM THE DISCUSSIONS IN PEKING (CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS.
5. I WELL UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE CONCERNS ON PARTICULAR ISSUES WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED IN HONG KONG SINCE THE AGREEMENT WAS PUBLISHED. NATIONALITY IS ONE OF THESE ISSUES. THIS WAS BOUND TO BE A DIFFICULT QUESTION, BUT IT HAS BEEN SOLVED IN A PRAGMATIC WAY THROUGH AN EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA ASSOCIATED WITH THE
AGREEMENT. THIS WILL ENABLE THE PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM TO BE PRESERVED FOR THE LIFETIME OF THE GENERATION ALIVE IN 1997. NOTHING COULD JUSTIFY THE IMPOSITION BY THIRD COUNTRIES OF NEW RESTRICTIONS ON THE FREEDOM OF ENTRY OF HONG KONG PEOPLE HOLDING THE NEW FORM OF PASSPORT AND ENJOYING THE NEW STATUS DESCRIBED IN THE UK MEMORANDUM. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT REGARDS IT AS PART OF ITS CONTINUING RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG TO EXPLAIN THIS FACT CLEARLY TO ALL THE COUNTRIES CONCERNED. WE WILL DEVOTE ALL NECESSARY EFFORTS TO DOING SO.
6.
PUBLIC DISCUSSION HERE ON THE DRAFT AGREEMENT HAS UNDERSTANDABLY DWELT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BASIC LAW. I FULLY AGREE ABOUT ITS IMPORTANCE. WE ALREADY HAVE THE ASSURANCE
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CONFIDENTIAL
FUTURE EGRET