CONFIDENTIAL
DRAFT SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER IN HONG KONG: 20 DECEMBER
1.
Those
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.
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 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
CONFIDENTIAL