CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3683
OF 3010OOZ SEPTEMBER 87
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP CO
Hub 011/6
0116
25
131372
MDHIAN 5278
PART ONE OF TWO
MIPT : GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS TO LEGCO
SECTIONS OF REVISED DRAFT REFERRED TO IN MIPT ARE AS FOLLOWS
RELATIONS WITH CHINA
INTRODUCTION
5. BEFORE REVIEWING LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS AND THE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE WHICH INTIMATELY CONCERN US ALL, I SHOULD LIKE TO REFLECT ON OUR RELATIONS WITH CHINA. OVER THE PAST DECADE, OUR LINKS WITH THE MAINLAND HAVE CONTINUED TO GROW AND DEVELOP IN EVERY FIELD. THEY HAVE
BECOME AN INCREASINGLY SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES.
THESE LINKS ARE IMPORTANT BOTH FOR THE PRESENT AND FOR THE FUTURE.
IN ADDITION TO THE MANY PERSONAL CONTACTS BETWEEN PEOPLE IN HONG
KONG AND PEOPLE IN THE MAINLAND, WE HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF OFFICIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CHANNELS FOR EXCHANGES OF IDEAS ON MATTERS OF COMMON
INTEREST. THESE CHANNELS HAVE FUNCTIONED WELL. THEY HAVE HELPED IN
DEVELOPING THE SORT OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT IN
SOLVING PRACTICAL PROBLEMS AS THEY ARISE. I HAVE MYSELF RECENTLY
RETURNED FROM PEKING. I FOUND THAT VISIT USEFUL AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN TO SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS DEALING WITH HONG KONG AFFAIRS
SOME OF OUR CONCERNS AND TO LEARN ABOUT THEIRS. I AM SURE THAT THIS
SORT OF DIALOGUE HELPS TO PROMOTE A RELATIONSHIP OF CO-OPERATION AND
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING WHICH WILL BE OF BENEFIT TO BOTH SIDES I LOOK
FORWARD TO CONTINUING THIS DIALOGUE IN FUTURE, INCLUDING DURING A FURTHER VISIT TO PEKING BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
POLITICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA
•
6. THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA
IS OF COURSE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. THIS
CONTINUES TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS. IT IS CLEAR EVIDENCE OF THE DETERMINATION OF BOTH SIDES TO IMPLEMENT FULLY THE TERMS OF THE
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CONFIDENTIAL