GRS 1300
DESKBY 19130OZ
UNCLASSIFIED
FROM PEKING 19123OZ DEC 84
454
TOP COPY
040157
20 DEC 1984
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 3039 OF 19 DECEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (DESKBY 19130OZ)
HKK
RECEIVE!
L
INDE,
PA.
MIPT: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT:
SIGNATURE CEREMONY.
1. TEXT OF PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT AS DELIVERED IS
AS FOLLOWS:
YOUR EXCELLENCY CHAIRMAN,DENG XIAOPING, YOUR EXCELLENCY
PRESIDENT LI XIANNIAN, YOUR EXCELLENCY PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG,
YOUR EXCELLENCIES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
THIS IS AN HISTORIC OCCASION AND AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED
TO SEE THAT CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING IS ABLE TO BE PRESENT.
THE JOINT DELARATION ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, WHICH
WE HAVE JUST SIGNED ON BEHALF OF OUR TWO GOVERNMENTS,
I'S A LANDMARK IN THE LIFE OF THE TERRITORY (SEMI COLON)
IN THE COURSE OF ANGLO-CHINESE RELATIONS AND IN THE
HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY.
THE AGREEMENT ESTABLISHES A FIRM BASIS FOR CONFIDENCE IN
HONG KONG UP TO 1997 AND BEYOND, AND FOR TS CONTINUED
STABILITY, PROPERTY AND GROWTH.
I REMEBER WITH PLEASURE MY LAST VISIT TO CHINA IN
SEPTEMBER 1982 AND MY DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE LEADERS. AT MY MEETING WITH CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING ON THAT OCCASION
WE AGREED TO OPEN TALKS ON THE FURUTE OF HONG KONG.
OUR COMMON AIM WAS TO MAINTAIN THE TERRITORY'S STABILITY
AND PROSPERITY. IT IS IN A SPIRIT OF PRIDE AND OF
OPTIMISM ABOUT THE FUTURE THAT I NOW RETURN TO SIGN THE
AGREEMENT WHICH IS THE RESULT OF THOSE TALKS.
I THINK YOU WILL AGREE THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE NOT
ALWAYS EASY. AT CERTAIN POINT THERE WERE DIFFICULT
DECISIONS TO BE MADE ON BOTH SIDES. THERE WERE MOMENTS
OF TENSION. TO OVERCOME THESE DIFFICULTIES WE NEEDED TO
DRAW ON A SHARED FUND OF GOODWILL (SEMH COLON) ON
FRIENDSHIP (SEM), COLON) AND ON A COMMON COMMITMENT TO
HONG KONG'S FUTURE. THIS WAS WHAT MADE SUCCESS POSSIBLE.
I SHOULD LIKE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THE DEDICATION OF THE TWO NEGOTIATING TEAMS AND ALL THEIR SUPPORTING STAFF,
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF SIR GEOFFREY HOWE AND STATE COUNCILLOR
AND FOREIGN MINISTER WU XUEQIAN. IT IS THANKS TO THE IMAGINATION
AND RESOURCE WHICH THEY SHOWED THAT WE CAN SIGN AN
AGREEMENT TODAY.
THE
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