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PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO ASIA
4-13 APRIL 1985
BACKGROUND BRIEF NUMBER 6 : HONG KONG
A.
THE HONG KONG AGREEMENT
1.
The Agreement on Hong Kong's future which the Prime Minister and
the Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang signed on 19 December 1984 in Peking marked the outcome of two years of intensive negotiations with the agreed common aim of maintaining Hong Kong's stability and
prosperity. The international community has welcomed the Agreement
as showing how difficult international issues can be resolved
peacefully. Following the initialling of the Agreement on 26 September 1984, statements of support for it were made, inter alia,
by the governments of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and
India.
2. We believe that
We believe that the Agreement provides the best possible framework for the continuing stability and prosperity of Hong Kong
up to and after 1 July 1997, when British administrative
responsibility for Hong Kong will cease and Hong Kong will become a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of
China. As such, it will enjoy considerable autonomy and function
essentially as now.
3.
UK Legislation is necessary to enable us to ratify the Agreement
which states that instruments of ratification shall be exchanged
before 30 June 1985. The Hong Kong Bill has now passed through the
House of Commons and should also have passed through the House of
Lords by the time of the Prime Minister's visit (Third Reading 28
March). The Bill provides for:
The termination of British sovereignty and jurisdiction over Hong
Kong as from 1 July 1997;
subsequent Orders in Council to amend British Nationality Law and
to adapt other laws affecting Hong Kong;
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