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17
Speech by Lv Ping to Smith New Court.
Comference: Landon 16/9/91
(Translation)
MAR (21/3ranslatio
FILE COPY.
Mr. Chairman,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I would like to thank my host for giving
me the honour to speak on this rostrum.
of
In September seven years ago, China and Britain
reached an agreement on the solution of the question
Hong Kong which was left over from history. Three months
later, the Government of China and the Government of
Britain signed the world-famous Sino-British Joint
Declaration
me
is
on the Question of Hong Kong. Please don't
worry, I won't spend all the precious time given to
by the Chairman on reviewing history. However, there
one historical fact which I think you might be interested
to know.
As early as Spring, 1979, when the Hong Kong and Macao
Office under the State Council of China was just a "new-
born baby", Mr. Deng Xiaoping met in Beijing with Sir
Mr.
Murry Maclehose, the then Governor of Hong Kong.
Deng told him in earnest: "Hong Kong is going to be
handled by us as a special region and a special
question. By
1997, no matter how the question of Hong
Kong is solved, its special status will be guaranteed.
That is to say, in a considerably long period
of time
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