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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1984
IN THE EARLY PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WE LOOKED FOR WAYS WHICH MIGHT ALLOW A BRITISH ADMINISTRATION TO CONTINUE IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997, ON THE BASIS THAT BRITAIN WOULD RECOGNISE CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG. THIS COURSE WOULD HAVE MEANT THE MINIMUM OF CHANGE, AND THE HONG KONG PEOPLE CERTAINLY EXPECTED THAT WE WOULD, AS A FIRST STEP SEE IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE. AND SO WE TRIED OVER 12 MONTHS NEGOTIATION. IT BECAME APPARENT THAT A SOLUTION ALONG THESE LINES WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, AND THAT IF WE HAD PERSISTED IN SEEKING IT. THE TALKS WOULD HAVE BROKEN DOWN. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE ALTERED THE FACT THAT 92 PER CENT OF THE TERRITORY WOULD REVERT TO CHINA UNDER THE LEASE IN 1997. BUT IT WOULD THEN HAVE DONE SO WITHOUT ANY AGREEMENT ON ITS FUTURE.
WE CONCLUDED THAT A BREAKDOWN IN NEGOTIATIONS, WITH ALL THE UNCERTAINTIES THAT WOULD HAVE CREATED, COULD NOT IN THE LONG VIEW OFFER SATISFACTORY PROSPECTS FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THE FUTURE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF THE TERRITORY. WE THEREFORE DECIDED, WITH THE AGREEMENT OF THE GOVERNOR AND EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG, TO SEEK TO NEGOTIATE ARRANGEMENTS UNDER WHICH BRITISH ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG WOULD CEASE AFTER 1997 AND HONG KONG, ALTHOUGH BECOMING A PART OF CHINA, WOULD RETAIN HER DISTINCT WAY OF LIFE AS A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF CHINA.
THE DRAFT AGREEMENT BEFORE THE HOUSE TODAY IS THE RESULT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WHICH BROUGHT TO A CONCLUSION ON THAT BASIS. IF THE MOTION ON THE ORDER PAPER IS CARRIED MY RT HON FRIEND THE PRIME MINISTER AND I WILL TRAVEL TO PEKING LATER THIS MONTH TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT. WE SHALL ALSO VISIT HONG KONG. THE VISIT TO PEKING WILL BE MY THIRD VISIT IN 12 MONTHS. IT WILL GIVE MY RT HON FRIEND AND ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW THE CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE ENJOYED WITH OUR CHINESE COLLEAGUES. IT MUST BE SAID THAT THIS AGREEMENT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE VISION AND REALISM WHICH HAS CHARACTERISED THE APPROACH OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TO THESE NEGOTIATIONS. AND I SHOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY PERSONAL APPRECIATION OF THE PART PLAYED BY MY OPPOSITE NUMBER, MR WU XUEQIAN, IN BRINGING OUR NEGOTIATIONS TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION.
FOLLOWING SIGNATURE WE SHALL BRING FORWARD LEGISLATION EARLY NEXT YEAR TO PROVIDE FOR TERMINATION OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997, AND TO PROVIDE POWERS TO MAKE OTHER CHANGES TO THE LAW, INCLUDING THE NATIONALITY LAW, WHICH WILL BE NECESSARY IN CONNECTION WITH THE AGREEMENT AND TERMINATION OF SOVEREIGNTY.
THE AGREEMENT, MR DEPUTY SPEAKER, IS BOTH COMPREHENSIVE AND DETAILED. SINCE ITS PUBLICATION ON 26 SEPTEMBER, MEMBERS WILL HAVE HAD MORE THAN TWO MONTHS TO STUDY IT. I SET OUT THE MAIN PROVISIONS OF IT IN MY STATEMENT OF 25 OCTOBER. TODAY I WANT ONLY TO STRESS ONLY A FEW OF ITS SIGNIFICANT FEATURES.
FIRST, THE