From The Minister of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
29 January 1988
Ą
At
تکتا
FURB 011/2
dear Gerdie, деждіє,
8
2
Thank you for your letter of 8 January.
I do not think your interpretation of history is applicable to Hong Kong. We have negotiated a unique and remarkable agreement with the Chinese Government (the Joint Declaration) which provides a high level of autonomy for Hong Kong after 1997. It gives a firm guarantee that socialist policies pursued on the mainland will not be practised in Hong Kong. Among other things, it provides for the administration of Hong Kong to be in local hands; for judicial power to be exercised independently; for a public service in which appointment and promotion will depend on qualifications, experience and ability; for Hong Kong to continue as a world commercial, financial and communications centre; and for Hong Kong to be responsible for conducting its own external trade, have its own freely convertible currency, and enjoy free flow of capital without exchange control. In short, it provides for the highest degree of continuity after 1997.
The Chinese Government have every reason to want to make the Joint Declaration work.
And we are determined to see that it does. On direct elections, I can assure you there is no reason whatsoever why they should not be introduced before 1997. It seems clear that there is a strong trend in public opinion in Hong Kong that supports their introduction well before 1997. But views are sharply divided as to whether this should happen in 1988.
GS Burnett-Stuart Esq
Crichie House
Stuartfield
Peterhead
Aberdeenshire AB4 8DY
/The
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