SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret
Secret
Confidential
Restricted
Unclassified
DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)
deadline. The visit of the Prime Minister to China in
1982 provided an opportunity to open discussions with the
Chinese Government about Hong Kong's future. As a result
of that visit, the two sides agreed that talks would
begin "with the common aim of maintaining the stability
and prosperity of Hong Kong".
II.
The negotiation of the Joint Declaration
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
5.
The negotiations lasted two years, from September
1982 to Septmber 1984, when the documents comprising the
Agreement were initialled. The negotiations fell into
two phases: an initial phase, conducted through the
British Embassy in Peking; and a second phase of formal
talks, which began in July 1983 and consisted of 22
rounds of negotiations over 14 months, supplemented by
informal contacts, and in the final four months by
full-time discussion of draft texts tabled by the two
sides. The Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, was
closely involved at every stage in the talks and
intervened personally at several important points in the
negotiations.
:11
6. The negotiations were extremely tough. The Britis
side argued long and hard for the retention of British,
administration in Hong Kong after 1997. After
protracted discussion, however, it became clear that
continuation of British administration in any form
unacceptable to the Chinese Government.
The only way
forward was to explore the possibility of negotiating