- 6
feel betrayed because they had Declaration largely on the
basis
accepted the Joint that a democratic
and representative system of government would be in place before 1997.
Are we to take
it then
that all the promises
of
democracy made to the people of Hong Kong and to the 1985 should only be
British Parliament in 1984 and treated as history?
Breach of the Joint Declaration
(a)
(b)
By the Chinese Government
On 21st November
of the Xinhua News first
1985, Mr. Xu Jiatun, the director
in Agency
during conference, press that the British Government
had
Hong
Kong, which he committed
gave insinuated a breach
his
that the of political meeting then
of the Joint Declaration by attempting to introduce political reforms in Hong Kong and demanded
governments
discuss the
two
question reforms at the next Joint Liaison Group
scheduled
to
week. The
resistence.
take place in Beijing the following British side
af ter initial senior Chinese Government strongest
complied
Since then,
in warned,
officials have repeatedly
the
possible language, that Hong Kong must not introduce changes until after the any major political
promulgation of the Basic Law in 1990; and that Hong introduce direct elections in 1988. Kong must not
by China and the acquiescence by
Such
demands Britain are clearly
Joint
Declaration,
Liaison Group will
by officials from
to the
of opposed
the spirit which
that specifies
the Joint discuss matters related to the
transition only after 1991. A summary of statements
both
governments
the press is set out in Annex 3.
as
We believe that such statements made
officials
in are
reported
by
in
Chinese
"the
clear breach of Clause 4 of the
that specifically Joint Declaration which says Government of the United Kingdom will be responsible
as well as for the administration of Hong Kong" breach of paragraphs 4 and 5 of Annex II, on the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group.
By the British Government
Although
the initial
in
reactions of the British Government at the end of 1985 were that it would not
accordance with Annex be in
of I I
the Joint Declaration for the JLG to discuss matters relating to the political
in Hong Kong during first half of the transitional period, the British
has
the
reforms
since given
arguing up
reforms political
As capitulated.
with the
but
public
Chinese Government
Government
effectively
Government, the
on
has for the Hong Kong perception is that it will
11. 1
ant