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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1994
SHORTLY AFTER MY RETURN TO HONG KONG, THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS PUBLISHED THEIR REPORT
ON RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA IN THE PERIOD UP TO AND BEYOND 1997. IT IS AN EXTREMELY THOROUGH AND IMPRESSIVE DOCUMENT, AS MANY OF YOU WILL HAVE SEEN. THEY SOUGHT VIEWS FROM RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD - FROM THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS, AS WELL AS FROM A LARGE NUMBER OF OTHER SOURCES, INCLUDING ME AND A GOOD MANY MEMBERS OF
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THIS COUNCIL.
NATURALLY I INTEND TO COMMENT IN ANY DETAIL ONLY ON THE SECTION ON HONG KONG. I AM GLAD THAT THE COMMITTER GAVE UNANIMOUS BACKING ΤΟ THE APPROACH WE HAVE TAKEN ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. HAVING HEARD AND WEIGHED UP ALL THE ARGUMENTS, THE COMMITTEE CONFIRMED THAT THE PROPOSALS WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED IN 1992 ARE CONSISTENT WITH AGREEMENTS REACHED WITH CHINA. THEY MAKE CLEAR THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE SPECIFIC PROPOSALS AND FOR THE OVERALL APPROACH WE HAVE ADOPTED. I NATURALLY WELCOME THAT, PARTICULARLY SO BECAUSE THIS REPORT IS UNANIMOUS AND CROSS-PARTY. IT IS CERTAINLY NOT A GOVERNMENT REPORT. SELECT COMMITTEES DO NOT SPEAK FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. THEY SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, INDEPENDENTLY AND FEARLESSLY, AND THEY HAVE DONE SO IN THIS CASE CLEARLY AND UNAMBIGUOUSLY AND AUTHORITATIVELY.
THE FAC MAKE SEVERAL SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS IN THEIR REPORT. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT - WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL WANT TO CONSIDER THESE CAREFULLY BEFORE GIVING A FORMAL RESPONSE. SO WHAT FOLLOWS ARE BY WAY OF PRELIMINARY REMARKS.
THE COMMITTEE RIGHTLY EMPHASISED THE NEED FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA TO WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG IN THE TIME REMAINING BEFORE THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY. BRITISH MINISTERS AND I HAVE OFTEN SAID THAT WE STRONGLY FAVOUR SUCH CO-OPERATION. I WAS THEREFORE PLEASED TO NOTE THAT THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER HAD EXPRESSED SIMILAR SENTIMENTS SUPPORTING SUCH CO- OPERATION IN A RECENT INTERVIEW WITH TA KUNG PAO.
ON
NATIONALITY ISSUES, THE FAC RECOMMEND, AS THIS COUNCIL HAS DONE, THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT GRANT FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP ΤΟ THE WIVES AND WIDOWS OF EX-SERVICEMEN IN HONG KONG. AS THE COUNCIL WILL KNOW, I SUPPORT THAT VIEW AND HAVE PRESSED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO GRANT FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP ΤΟ THIS EXCEPTIONAL GROUP. UNFORTUNATELY, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GRANT FULL CITIZENSHIP WITHOUT PRIMARY LEGISLATION IN PARLIAMENT, AND THEY ARE NOT PERSUADED OF THE CASE FOR INITIATING THIS. INSTEAD, THE HOME SECRETARY HAS WRITTEN PERSONALLY TO EACH OF THE LADIES CONCERNED AND HAS AGREED THAT THEY MAY HAVE A SPECIAL STAMP IN THEIR PASSPORTS GUARANTEEING THAT THEY ARE FREE TO COME AND GO FROM THE UK WHENEVER THEY WISH, AND TO SETTLE THERE. THESE ARE SPECIAL STEPS WHICH I HOPE WILL GO SOME WAY TOWARDS MEETING THE LADIES' CONCERNS.
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/THE FAC