JAIAIB,
UNCLASSIFIED
le
fr Çala you!
ASEAN BRIEFING: 26 FEBRUARY: HONG KONG
pa
du
SUMMARY OF POINTS TO MAKE
2012
1. Last briefed you on the initialling of the agreement. Since
then:
2.
3.
Agreement has been warmly welcomed by international community.
Reports of Assessment Office and Monitors showed that agreement
was acceptable to majority of people in Hong Kong.
4.
Parliamentary debates on 5 and 10 December endorsed government's decision to sign agreement. Received all party support.
5. Prime Minister and Sir Geoffrey Howe visited Peking to sign
agreement on 19 December. Chinese leaders assured Prime Minister
that they would (a) faithfully implement the agreement and (b)
consult the people of Hong Kong on the drafting of the Basic Law.
6.
Hong Kong Bill has now passed through the House of Commons and had Second Reading in House of Lords. Purpose to enable UK to
implement the agreement. Must be ratified before 30 June 1985.
7. Bill provides for:
termination of British sovereignty and jurisdiction on 1 July
1997.
8.
privileges and immunities to be accorded to Chinese members of
JLG who will attend meeting in the UK.
subsequent Orders in Council to deal with changes in British
Nationality law and adaptation of other laws.
ΑΠ
-
All party support for Hong Kong policy continues. Nationality
is most controversial issue in Parliament. Creating new status BN(O). Order in Council to be introduced within one year of passage
of Bill.