HKDACX
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COI QUESTIONS AND DRAFT REPLIES
Qì.
Al.
What is your brief in the FCO vis a vis Hong Kong and China?
As FCO Minister of State responsible for the Far East my
brief covers our relations with the People's Republic of China. We
have a special responsibility for Hong Kong as a British dependent territory. Under the Joint Declaration Britain remains responsible
for the administration of Hong Kong up to 30 June 1997 and it is my
responsibility within the FCO to take a close interest in all Hong
Kong affairs.
02.
A2.
Why are you visiting Hong Kong at this time?
This will be my first overseas visit since taking office as
an FCO Minister in June. In view of my new responsibility for Hong Kong, I regard it as very important that I should visit the
territory as early as I can to brief myself fully on current Hong
Kong issues and to meet those involved in running the territory.
Q3.
In retrospect, do you think the agreement on Hong Kong
between Britain and China has been beneficial? Is it holding up
well?
A3.
Unquestionably it has been beneficial. It has removed a
major area of uncertainty and laid down in detail what Hong Kong will be like for the next 60 years. Very few other places in the
world have that degree of certainty about their future. There is
plenty of evidence that the agreement is holding up well. We and the Chinese share a continuing, absolute commitment to seeing the agreement fully and faithfully implemented. The Joint Liaison Group and the Land Commission have produced a series of practical achievements towards its implementation. I have every confidence
that they will continue to do so in future. Co-operation between
the two sides is excellent.
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