20 THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG
expressed through a variety of channels - by and through UMELCO, through the press, through individual communications addressed to the British Government or the Hong Kong Government. In this way the British Government sought to take into account the views of the people of Hong Kong to the maximum extent possible during the negotiations. In the same way the maintenance of confidentiality made the task of consulting Parliament on the negotiations more difficult. Despite this there were debates on Hong Kong in October and November 1983 and in May 1984, and part of the Foreign Affairs Debate in March 1984 was also devoted to Hong Kong. Members of Parliament kept in close touch with the people of Hong Kong, both through visits to the territory and through meetings with Hong Kong delegations visiting the United Kingdom.
Consultation with the People of Hong Kong: (II) After publication of the draft agreement With the publication of the text of the draft agreement, many of the difficulties attendant on the process of consultation were removed. The British Government consistently recognised that an agreement on the future of Hong Kong must be acceptable to the people of Hong Kong as well as to Parliament. Accordingly, the people of Hong Kong were invited to comment on the overall acceptability of the draft agreement before it was submitted for approval by Parliament.
This process started on 26 September with the publication of a White Paper by the British Government and the Hong Kong Government. The paper explained the back- ground to the preceding two years of negotiations and their course, included the text of the draft agreement and the associated memoranda on the status of persons after 30 June 1997 who at present are British Dependent Territories citizens, and related issues. It set these documents in the context of the negotiations.
The White Paper set out the British Government's view that the draft agreement was a good one, which they strongly commended to the people of Hong Kong. It went on to say that the British Government were confident that the agreement provided the necessary assurances about Hong Kong's future to allow the territory to continue to flourish, and to maintain its unique role in the world as a major trading and financial centre.
In presenting the White Paper at a special meeting of the Legislative Council held on the evening of 26 September 1984, the Governor, Sir Edward Youde, said that the draft agreement took account of Hong Kong's needs and the realities of history. It foresaw that change must come but that, in providing for change it provided also for the preservation of the essential elements in Hong Kong's society. In as far as was possible for governments to provide for the future, the agreement removed the uncertainty which had existed because of the 1997 deadline. It constituted a blueprint for a new stage in Hong Kong's development. As such, he commended the agreement to the Legislative Council and to the people of Hong Kong. He concluded by saying he had no doubt that the people of Hong Kong could make the agreement work and could build for themselves a successful future. Speaking a few hours later in New York, Sir Geoffrey Howe said that the Prime Minister and he had no doubt that the agreement was a good one which could be confidently commended to Hong Kong people and Parliament.
Shortly before the White Paper was published an Assessment Office was set up under the authority of the Governor, staffed by civil servants under a Commissioner, but separate from the ordinary machinery of the Hong Kong Government. The task of the Office was to provide the British Government with an analysis and assessment of opinion in Hong Kong on the draft agreement. The Office came into full operation on 26 September.