FOREWORD
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This is the sixth annual report to Parliament on Hong Kong. Its purpose is to keep Parliament informed of the main events affecting the territory in 1990, in recognition of the importance which the Government and Parliament attach to
the affairs of Hong Kong.
1990 was a year in which the people of Hong Kong, with characteristic resilience, regained much of the confidence
which had been lost following the events of 1989 in China.
There naturally continues to be uncertainty about the
future, but Hong Kong is facing the future with a renewed
sense of purpose.
The
The British Government are doing all they can to help.
Sino-British Joint Declaration provides a foundation and a
framework for the future. Our firm intention is to ensure
that this agreement is successfully implemented. This
requires effective cooperation with China, based on mutual
trust and a recognition of our common interest and shared
responsibilities. We have taken care to develop a pattern
of high level contacts with China in 1990. The visit of
Francis Maude to Peking in July and the visit in November of the Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Tian Zengpei, are
notable examples of such contacts. I myself visited China
and Hong Kong in April of this year. I have no doubt that a
good working relationship with China over Hong Kong is a key
to reassuring the people of the territory about their future. This will become increasingly important as 1997
approaches.
The Government have sought to bolster confidence in
Hong Kong in other ways too. In November, the British
Nationality (Hong Kong) Act became law. It provides for
50,000 key workers in Hong Kong and their dependents to be
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