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4.
In order to pave the way for a smooth transition in 1997,
the United Kingdom has begun the process of negotiating separate Hong Kong ASAS with the full agreement and support of the Chinese Government. Considerable progress has already been made.
5. The text of a Hong Kong/Netherlands ASA was negotiated in
April 1986. The UK discussed this with the Chinese and subsequently, with Dutch agreement, made certain changes to the original text in order to ensure that it would be in a form which was acceptable to the Chinese. The Hong Kong/Netherlands ASA was
signed on 17 September 1986 and, after completion of
of Dutch
constitutional procedures, entered into force on 26 June 1987.
Similarly, a Hong Kong/Switzerland ASA was signed on 26 January
1988, and will come into force after completion of Swiss constitutional procedures. The Hong Kong/Canada ASA was signed
on 24 June 1988, and entered into force on that date. The Hong
Kong/Brunei ASA (which derived from UK/Brunei arrangements rather
than an ASA) was signed and entered into force on 9 January 1989.
The ASA with France was signed in August 1990 and agreements with
New Zealand and Malaysia will shortly be signed. Five other ASAS
have been negotiated and the texts have been handed to the
Chinese to ensure they have no problem with their continuing in
force after 30 June 1997. After signature, each Hong Kong ASA is
published and, once it has entered into force, the UK registers
it with the United Nations and the International Civil Aviation
Organization.
6. The United Kingdom has already commenced negotiations with
the Governments of several other countries. In all these cases
and as for Hong Kong ASAS already concluded, the aim is to reach
agreement on a text which takes account of Chinese views and
which is capable of carrying over in 1997 as envisaged in Section
IX of Annex I to the Joint Declaration. То this end, each
initialled text is shown to the Chinese before it is signed.
However, the text of any associated confidential document is not
shown to the PRC.