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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1984
IT IS THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAKE A SPECIFIC AGREEMENT NECESSARY AT THIS TIME. AND YET THE NEED FOR ACCOMMODATION WITH CHINA IS NOT NEW TO HONG KONG. THROUGH MOST OF ITS YEARS OF EXISTENCE HONG KONG HAS BEEN DEPENDENT ON COOPERATION WITH ITS GIANT NEIGHBOUR. IN RECENT YEARS THIS HAS DEVELOPED INTO A STRONG AND COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP. THAT THEN IS THE BACKGROUND TO THE LONG AND AT TIMES VERY DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. THEY HAVE HAD TO BE CONDUCTED IN CONFIDENCE. AND I KNOW THAT THE NEED FOR
CONFIDENTIALITY HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING BOTH FOR PARLIAMENT AND FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
BOTH HAVE SHOWN GREAT UNDERSTANDING AND BOTH, HOPE MAY TAKE SOME COMFORT FROM MY JUDGEMENT THAT CONFIDENTIALITY WAS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. I SHOULD LIKE, MR SPEAKER, TO GIVE WARM THANKS TO THE MEMBERS
OF THE HONG KONG EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, WHO PLAYED A VITAL PART IN ADVISING THE GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE GOVERNOR, THROUGHOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS, AND GIVE THANKS AS WELL TO THE MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE NEGOTIATIONS POSED PARTICULAR PROBLEMS FOR THEM.
THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG HAS BORNE THE DUAL BURDEN OF CONTINUING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG AND OF CONTINUOUS INVOLVEMENT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. HE HAS BORNE THAT HEAVY BURDEN WITH GREAT DISTINCTION.
OUR AMBASSADORS AT PEKING, SUCCESSIVELY SIR PERCY CRADOCK AND SIR RICHARD EVANS, HAVE LED THE NEGOTIATING TEAM WITH GREAT SKILL. THEY AND ALL THE OFFICIALS INVOLVED, FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS FROM OUR OWN DIPLOMATIC SERVICE, WELL DESERVE THE TRIBUTE THAT WAS PAID TO THEM BY THE FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW WHICH SPOKE OF THE +SHEER PROFESSIONALISM+ OF THE BRITISH TEAM. I HAVE NO DOUBT THE WHOLE HOUSE WILL WISH TO JOIN ME IN THANKING AND CONGRATULATING THEM ALL.
THROUGHOUT ALL OUR WORK, WE HAVE AIMED, OF COURSE, TO REACH AGREEMENT ON ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG: ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WOULD ENABLE THEM AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY.
FROM THE OUTSET IT WAS CLEAR THAT SUCH ARRANGEMENTS WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. THAT IS JUST ANOTHER REFLECTION OF THE FACT THAT HONG KONG COULD NEVER HAVE BECOME THE PLACE THAT IT IS TODAY WITHOUT ESTABLISHING A PRACTICAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
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