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PROVIDED FOR IN THE AGREEMENT. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS
OF ARTICLE XXVI(5)(C) OF THE SAID AGREEMENT AND WITH THE WISHES
OF HONG KONG, HONG KONG WILL, WITH EFFECT FROM THE DATE OF THIS
COMMUNICATION, BE DEEMED TO BE A CONTRACTING PARTY TO THE
AGREEMENT.
I AM ALSO INSTRUCTED TO STATE THAT, HAVING REGARD TO THE
JOINT DECLARATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF
GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG, SIGNED IN BEIJING ON 19 DECEMBER 1984, THE UNITED KINGDOM WILL RESTORE
HONG KONG TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA WITH EFFECT FROM 1
JULY 1997 AND THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE
INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG UNTIL THAT DATE.
ENDS
2.
BEGINS
TEXT OF THE PRC DECLARATION IS AS FOLLOWS:
I AM INSTRUCTED BY THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, WITH REFERENCE TO THE COMMUNICATION
WHICH THE UNITED KINGDOM MISSION IN GENEVA ADDRESSED TO THE
DIRECTOR GENERAL TODAY, TO NOTIFY YOUR EXCELLENCY AS FOLLOWS:
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE GOVERNMENT
OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND ON
THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG, SIGNED IN BEIJING ON 19 DECEMBER 1984,
THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA HAS DECIDED TO RESUME THE EXERCISE
OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JULY 1997. HONG
KONG WILL, WITH EFFECT FROM THAT DATE, BECOME A SPECIAL
ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA WHICH
WILL HAVE INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE HONG KONG SPECIAL
ADMINISTRATIVE REGION. IN ACCORDANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 3 OF THE
JOINT DECLARATION AND THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF ANNEX I TO THAT
DECLARATION, THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WILL
RETAIN THE STATUS OF A FREE PORT AND A SEPARATE CUSTOMS
TERRITORY, WILL MAINTAIN THE CAPITALIST ECONOMIC AND TRADE
SYSTEMS PREVIOUSLY PRACTISED IN HONG KONG, WILL DECIDE ITS
ECONOMIC TRADE POLICIES ON ITS OWN AND MAY ON ITS OWN, USING THE
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