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<7, 1935
STATEMENT BY BRITISH EMBASSY IN PEKING
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THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN PEKING THIS (MONDAY) MORNING FOLLOWING THE EXCHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG:
SIR RICHARD EVANS, AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, AND
MR ZHOU NAN, VICE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, ON 27 MAY 1985 IN PEKING EXCHANGED INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG WHICH WAS SIGNED ON 19 DECEMBER 1984 BY PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THATCHER AND PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG AND WHICH HAS BEEN RATIFIED BY THE TWO SIDES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE LEGAL PROCEDURES. THE JOINT DECLARATION HAS ENTERED INTO FORCE AS OF TODAY.
SPEECH BY SIR RICHARD EVANS
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THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A SPEECH MADE BY SIR RICHARD. EVANS, BRITISH AMBASSADOP TO PEKING, AT THE CEREMONY FOR THE EXCHANGE OF INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG THIS (MONDAY) MORNING:
+YOUR EXCELLENCY THE VICE MINISTER, WE HAVE JUST EXCHANGED THE INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION OF OUR TWO GOVERNMENTS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG. THIS EXCHANGE SIGNIFIES THE COMPLETION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LEGAL PROCESS NECESSARY TO ALLOW THE JOINT DECLARATION TO ENTER INTO FORCE. THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND ITS ANNEXES ESTABLISH A FRAMEWORK FOR HONG KONG TO CONTINUE TO ENJOY STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, BOTH BEFORE 1997 AND WHEN IT WILL BECOME A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA THEREAFTER.
+THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA IN NEGOTIATING THE JOINT DECLARATION HAS BEEN WIDELY WELCOMED INTERNATIONALLY BY THE GOVERNMENTS OF MANY COUNTRIES AND EY THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS. THIS IS MOST ENCOURAGING. IT IS ENCOURAGING IN ITSELF AND IT IS ENCOURAGING BECAUSE INTERNATIONAL GOODWILL WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG IN THE FUTURE.
/+THE BRITISH .............