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MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1984
+REJECTING IT WOULD MEAN THAT CHINA WILL MAKE ITS OWN UNILATERAL DECLARATION WHICH WOULD NOT NECESSARILY INCLUDE ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE AGREEMENT, NOR WOULD IT HAVE THE SAME STATUS AS A LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENT.
+ IN MY VIEW THE AGREEMENT IS A GOOD ONE AND I STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG,+ MR WONG SAID.
IT PROVIDED A WORKABLE FRAMEWORK IN WHICH HONG KONG WOULD BE ABLE TO PRESERVE ITS UNIQUE ECONOMIC SYSTEM AND WAY OF LIFE.
IT MARKED THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA FOR HONG KONG.
+ IT IS NOW UP TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS FREELY NEGOTIATED ACCORD AND BUILD FOR THEMSELVES A PROSPEROUS AND DEMOCRATIC REGION IN WHICH THEY WILL BE PROUD AND HAPPY TO LIVE AND WORK AND ALSO A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE,+
MR WONG SAID SOME CONCERN HAD BEEN EXPRESSED AS TO WHETHER THE AGREEMENT WAS IN FACT LEGALLY BINDING, BUT LEGAL EXPERTS ON INTERNATIONAL LAW WERE OF THE OPINION THAT IT WAS.
THERE WAS NO REASON TO THINK OTHERWISE.
THE EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA DEALT WITH THE SINGLE ISSUE OF PASSPORTS AND SINCE IT WAS A FORMAL EXCHANGE AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE AGREEMENT THERE WAS NOTHING TO SUGGEST THAT THE CONTENTS WOULD NOT BE HONOURED, HE SAID.
ON NATIONALITY, HE SAID REACTION TO THIS ISSUE IS LESS THAN FAVOURABLE+, AND ONE WOULD HAVE HOPED THAT A BETTER SOLUTION COULD BE FOUND.
HE SAID THE BASIC LAW, YET TO BE DRAFTED, WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
CHINA'S BASIC POLICIES AS SET OUT IN THE JOINT DECLARATION AND ELABORATED IN ANNEX I WOULD ALL BE STIPULATED IN THE BASIC LAW.
IN THIS RESPECT, THERE WAS ROOM FOR FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE STATED POLICIES.
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD STATED THAT IT WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
+TO THAT EXTENT, IT WOULD BE HIGHLY DESIRABLE TO STATE POSITIVELY OUR PREFERENCES IN THE HOPE THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER THEM SYMPATHETICALLY, + HE SAID.
+ IT IS A MATTER OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD SPARE NO EFFORT IN ESTABLISHING A GOOD AND FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. MUCH WILL DEPEND ON ITS GOODWILL AND ASSISTANCE.
/+CO-OPERATION, MUTUAL