1988-01-25 18:40
exchange
COMMS. OFFICE (GOV'T HSE)
of
visits.
Private
852 5 845 0995 P.08 sector links
have
proliferated,
Is this broadening and deepening of contacts
with China a good or bad thing for Hong Kong? Surely these are healthy and natural developments towards the time when local people will assume full responsibility for managing Hong Kong's relationship with China.
The development of strong, mutually beneficial links between Hong Kong and Ching is at least as important as the other great change in our relationship, which tends I am talking of course to command more media attention.
about the Joint Declaration
The provisions of the Joint Declaration reflect
the importance to China as well as to Hong Kong that the
maintained.
"One
it
a catchphrase,
Maintaining o
of the
should be separaten ess
two
two systems" is
just not country, represents an important political reality. high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong is crucial to the continuing prosperity of Hong Kong and crucial in ensuring that Hong Kong can play its part in contributing to the growing prosperity of the mainland. heralds a most important change - the change of sovereignty in 1997 - but the bulk of the document is about continuity - continuing our present institutions and way of life.
The Joint Declaration