SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret
Secret
Confidential
DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)
expectations of many people, who had assumed from
statements made by the Chinese authorities before the
negotiations began that any agreement on Hong Kong's
future would be couched in very general terms.
Agreement was widely welcomed internationally as a major
diplomatic achievement.
The
Restricted
Unclassified
PRIVACY MARKING
IV: Consultation with the British Parliament
In Confidence
10.
The British Parliament took a close interest in the
progress of the negotiations and in the Joint Declaration
itself. There were debates on Hong Kong in October and
November 1983 and in May 1984. The draft Agreement was
presented to Parliament in a White Paper in September
1984. In thorough and wide ranging debates in December
1984,
the overwhelming majority of speakers expressed the
view that the agreement was an excellent one which
provided a sound basis for a stable and prosperous future
for Hong Kong after 1997. The Joint Declaration was
signed by the British and Chinese Governments on 19
December 1984. The Hong Kong Act 1985, providing for the
ending of British sovereignty and jurisdiction over Hong
Kong on 30 June 1997, was passed by Parliament and
received the Royal Assent on 24 April 1985.
11. The Agreement entered into force on 27 May 1985,
when instruments of ratification were exchanged in Peking
between the British and Chinese Governments.
On
12 June 1985 it was registered at the United Nations by
the two governments,
in accordance with the normal