GRS 430
RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FROM PEKING 0908362 APR 85
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 491 OF 9/4/85
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TOP COPY
! HKK 040/27
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS
11 APR 1935
1. THE CHINESE MEDIA HAVE REPORTED WIDELY REMARKS BY NPC DEPUTIES FOLLOWING WU XUEQIAN'S SPEECH OF 3 APRIL (MY TELNO 484). THE REMARKS REPORTED ARE IN GENERAL UNEXCEPTIONAL AND ECHO WU'S SPEECH IN POINTING TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE AGREEMENT, THE VIABILITY OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS AND THE NEED FOR CONTINUING CLOSE COOPERATION BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA IN COMPREHENSIVELY IMPLEMENTING THE AGREEMENT. THE FOLLOWING REMARKS ARE, HOWEVER, WORTH HIGH-LIGHTING.
2. CHIEF OF THE PLA GENERAL STAFF YANG DEZH. (A NPC DEPUTY) SAID ON 4 APRIL THAT AFTER CHINA RECOVERED HONG KONG AND ESTABLISHED AN SAR THE PLA WOULD BE STATIONED THERE. CHINESE TROOPS WOULD CERTAINLY RESPECT THE LAWS AND DECREES OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND WOULD NOT INTERFERE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF THE HUNG KONG SAR. THE COST OF THE GARRISON WOULD NOT BE BORNE BY THE SAR.
3. HUAN XIANG, AN. NPC DEPUTY AND CHIEF DIRECTOR OF THE STATE COUNCIL RESEARCH CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL MATTERS, GAVE AN INTERVIEW ON THE HONG KONG AGREEMENT WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN THE PEOPLE'S DAILY ON 5 APRIL. SPEAKING ABOUT THE TRANSITION PERIOD UP TO 30 JUNE 1997, HUAN SAID THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG LAY MAINLY'' (ZHUYAO) WITH THE BRITISH SIDE. AFTER 1 JULY 1997 MAINTENANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY WAS ENTIRELY'' (WANQUAN) A MATTER FOR CHINA HERSELF, WHICH DEPENDED UPON CHINESE PEOPLE AND PARTICULARLY ON THE ABILITY AND INTELLIGENCE OF HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS. IF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY WERE NOT MAINTAINED DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD THERE WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON THE ENSUING 50 YEAR PERIOD. THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD WAS THE KEY TO GUARANTEEING HONG KONG'S FUTURE WELL-BEING AND EVERYONE SHOULD THEREFORE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITUATION DURING THOSE 12 YEARS.
RESTRICTED
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