6
ON
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1984
INTERJECTION: (LABOUR MP): WHOSE TASK IS IT TO SECURE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF THIS AGREEMENT AND ITS TERMS IN RESPECT OF THE PERIOD AFTER 1997? IS IT FOR CHINA TO DO SO, OR FOR BRITAIN, OR FOR A COMBINATION OF BOTH, AND IF THIS IS SO, IS THERE AN ADEQUATE MACHINERY SET OUT FOR THAT PURPOSE?
HOWE: THERE ARE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THAT QUESTION, BUT IF THE HON MEMBER REFERS TO THE NEED TO SECURE, FOR EXAMPLE, CONTINUED RECOGNITION OF HK'S PLACE IN THE GATT AND IN OTHER INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS, THAT IS SOMETHING ON WHICH BOTH COUNTRIES WILL BE CO-OPERATING TOGETHER AND IT IS SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED FOR AS ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, WHICH I'LL REFER TO IN A MOMENT. AS I WAS SAYING, THE NEXT 12 YEARS ARE ALSO CRUCIAL TO HONG KONG. IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THIS ENTERPRISE, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT ARE PUT INTO PRACTICE THERE WILL BE A NEED FOR CLOSE COOPERATION BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN NOW AND 1997, ESPECIALLY IN THE LATER YEARS. THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IS THE BEST MEANS OF ACHIEVING THIS AND THROUGH IT OF AVOIDING ABRUPT SHIFTS IN 1997 WHICH MIGHT DISTURB THE CONTINUITY OF LIFE IN HONG KONG.
THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WILL BE CHARGED WITH THE TASKS OF CONSULTING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND DISCUSSING MATTERS RELATING TO THE SMOOTH TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT IN 1997, AS WELL AS EXCHANGING INFORMATION. IT WILL THEREFORE CONTINUE IN BEING UNTIL THE YEAR 2000. IT IS OUR FIRM INTENTION THAT THE GROUP SHOULD CARRY OUT ITS FUNCTIONS SO AS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS ON ALL MATTERS RELATING TO THE AGREEMENT, AS WELL AS CONFIDENCE AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. WE SHALL GIVE THE GROUP OUR FULL CO-OPERATION TO THAT END. I DO REGARD ITS WORK AS OF THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE.
MR ALF MORRIS (LABOUR): IS THE RIGHT HON. GENTLEMAN FAMILIAR WITH THE CONCERN OF SOME PEOPLE IN HONG KONG THAT THEY COULD BECOME STATELESS PERSONS ... IS THIS NOT AN IMPORTANT MATTER?
HOWE: THAT IS A MATTER WHICH COULD ARISE IN CERTAIN CASES... IT WILL BE DEALT WITH TO ENSURE THAT STATELESSNESS DOES NOT HAPPEN AND THAT WILL BE A MATTER REFERRED TO IN THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL WHICH WE WILL BE INTRODUCING IN THE NEW YEAR. I'M GLAD TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF DEALING WITH THE POINT.
DAVID HOWELL (LABOUR): WOULD MY FRIEND ALLOW ME ... ON THE QUESTION OF THE JOINT LIAISON COMMITTEE, IF 1 UNDERSTAND FROM HIS REPLY THAT THIS COMMITTEE WILL PLAY A LEADING PART IN UNDERPINNING THE INTERNATIONAL STATUS OF THE SAR AFTER 1997, WILL THAT JOINT LIAISON COMMITTEE HAVE ON IT PEOPLE FROM
HONG KONG
/HOWE: PERHAPS