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were confirmed by an
independent
te am
of
(1984)). Parliament debated the agreement
views and approved Her Majesty's Government's
5.
monitors (Cmnd.
9407
in the light of these
in tention
to sign it.
On 19 December 1984 the Prime Minister and the Chinese Premier
signed the Joint Declaration in Peking. Once the Hong Kong Act 1985
(c. 15) had been passed by Parliament, instruments of ratification
were exchanged on 27 May 1985 and the Joint Declaration entered in to
force immediately. It was registered by both the British and
Chinese Governments at the United Nations on 12 June 1985.
6.
Under the terms of the
Join t
Declaration Her Majesty's
restore Hong Kong to the People's
Government declares that it will
Governments
Republic of China with effect from 1 July 1997, and the two
Her Majesty's Government will be
administration of Hong Kong up to that date.
committed to the full implementation of the
declare
that
responsible for the
Both Governments are
Joint Declaration and its Annexes.
(b) Joint Liaison Group
1.
•
and in order to ensure a
The Group held its first
At that meeting the two
of the Group and on
A Sino-British Joint Liaison Group has been established under
the terms of the Joint Declaration with a view to the effective
implementation of the Joint Declaration
smooth transfer of government in 1997
meeting in London from 22 to 25 July 1985.
sides agreed on the working procedures
arrangements for Hong Kong to remain a member of the Asian
Development Bank after 30 June 1997. The Group also discussed Hong
Kong's continued participation in
the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade and The Multifibre Arrangement and the continued
application of international rights and obligations to Hong Kong.
I t was agreed that discussion of these
subjects would
continue at
the second meeting of the Group.
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