THURSDAY, JULY 19, 1984
5
BACKGROUND PAPER
***
FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A BACKGROUND PAPER TO BE PLACED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY BY THE BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR TESTING THE ACCEPTABILITY IN HONG KONG OF AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY:
INTRODUCTION:
1.
IN THE REPLY WHICH HE GAVE ON JULY 18 TO THE QUESTION TABLED BY THE HON MEMBER FOR BROMSGROVE THE FOREIGN SECRETARY OUTLINED THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT WOULD BE MADE TO TEST THE ACCEPTABILITY IN HONG KONG OF ANY AGREEMENT REACHED WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY. THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THESE PROPOSED ARRANGEMENTS IN MORE DETAIL.
OBJECTIVES:
2.
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROCESS OF CONSULTATION WILL BE:
(A)
(B)
TO PUT A DRAFT AGREEMENT TO THE HONG KONG PEOPLE WITH A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF ITS IMPLICATIONS AND TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER OR NOT IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO THEM:
TO PROVIDE HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT WITH AN ACCURATE ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF OPINION IN HONG KONG ON THE AGREEMENT, AND ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WHICH IT WILL SET OUT, BEFORE THE DECISION IS TAKEN TO SIGN THE DRAFT AGREEMENT.
PROPOSED ARRANGMENTS:
3.
4.
IT IS PROPOSED THAT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT SHOULD BE PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AS PART OF A WHITE PAPER IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT HAS BEEN INITIALLED. THIS WHITE PAPER WILL BE PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN HONG KONG IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE AND WILL ALSO INCLUDE:
(A)
B)
€
AN ACCOUNT OF THE BACKGROUND TO THE NEGOTIATIONS LEADING UP TO THE DRAFT AGREEMENT AND
AN EXPLANATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS.
THE WHITE PAPER WILL BE FORMALLY INTRODUCED BY THE GOVERNOR IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN HONG KONG. IT WILL SUBSEQUENTLY BE INTRODUCED BY A MINISTERIAL STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT AS SOON AS PARLIAMENT RECONVENES.
IT IS PROPOSED THAT, IN HONG KONG
IN HONG KONG, THE WHITE PAPER AND THE TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD BE HANDLED AS FOLLOWS.
/(A) THEY WILL