fu
March 1993
Mr T Sackville, MP
House of Commons
य
4/103113
Mr Ricketts, HKLA
letter
at 41 film tooolled волосомал
London SW1A OAA
VMY
6.5. Derey 3113
beth
30/2
Thank you for your letter of 19 March reporting the
concerns of your constituent Mr Brown of 4 Shrewsbury Road,
Heaton, Bolton over the current negotiations about Hong Kong.
As Mr Brown may be aware we obtained title to a small proportion (8%) of Hong Kong in 1842 and 1860. The treaties by which we
did so both implicitly recognised that before then Hong Kong had
been part of China. Lord Palmeston memorably described Hong
Kong in Parliament as 'a barren rock with hardly a house upon it'. In fact the Hong Kong Government estimate that at the time of the ceding of Hong Kong there were 3650 people living there as well as some 2000 residing permanently in boats in the
harbour.
The vast majority of the land area of Hong Kong was obtained on a 99 year lease which is due to expire in 1997. The British
Government concluded in the early 1980s that the 8% of Hong Kong not covered by the lease would not be viable without the remaining 92%. The option of trying to retain Hong Kong Island and Kowloon in the face of what would have been strong Chinese opposition was rejected. The prospect of such a split would
have wrecked the economy/and future of Hong Kong.
To ensure the future/success of Hong Kong under Chinese sovereignty after July 1997, we concluded with China Joint Declaration of 1984.
1984. This guarantees (in considerable detail) that Hong Kong's way of life will continue for 50 years after
1997. We remain convinced that the Joint Declaration is the
best and surest foundation for the future of Hong Kong.
(
ALASTAIR GOODLAD
HKCC 012/5 RECEIVED IN
+ APR 1993
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