PQ ON SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO CHINA AND HONG KONG
To ask the Secretary of State if he will make a statement
on his visit to China and Hong Kong
DRAFT WRITTEN REPLY
I paid an official visit to-China from 3-8 April at the
invitation of the Chinese Foreign Minister, and visited
Hong Kong for a day at each end of that visit. This was the
first visit by a Foreign Secretary to China since 1986.
In Peking I had two full sessions of talks with the
Foreign Minister and met the Party General Secretary, the Premier, the Chairman of the National People's Congress and
the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office.
With the Foreign Minister I covered major international
issues of common concern, including the Middle East, arms
proliferation, and Cambodia. We also discussed a number of
bilateral matters, including commercial relations. I raised
our concerns about human rights, including in Tibet, both with the Foreign Minister and with the General Secretary.
A central element in my discussions was Hong Kong. told the Chinese that we wanted to intensify work on the
practical issues which need to be resolved in order to
ensure a smooth transition in 1997. In achieving this we
need to respect two key principles. On the one hand,
I
Britain, China and Hong Kong need to cooperate on the implementation of the Joint Declaration. On the other, the
Hong Kong Government needs to be able to fulfil its duty to govern effectively. Seeking the views of China on certain important matters, and paying close attention to those views where possible, is compatible with those principles, but the task of taking decisions rests with the Hong Kong
Government.
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