XN000022-1984-10-26 — Page 2

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1934

STATEMENT BY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE

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THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS GIVEN BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS LAST (THURSDAY) NIGHT (HONG KONG TIME).

HONG KONG AGREEMENT

+1 WILL, WITH PERMISSION, MR SPEAKER, MAKE A STATEMENT ON DEVELOPMENTS DURING THE RECESS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

+DURING MY DISCUSSIONS IN PEKING WITH CHINESE LEADERS IN LATE JULY, I WAS ABLE TO RESOLVE MOST OF THE MAJOR ISSUES OUTSTANDING IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. I GAVE A PROGRESS REPORT IN A STATEMENT IN HONG KONG ON AUGUST 1: COPIES OF THAT STATEMENT WERE PLACED IN THE LIBRARY OF THE HOUSE ON THE SAME DAY.

+NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUED ON THE REMAINING UNRESOLVED ISSUES AND WERE BROUGHT TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION ON SEPTEMBER 22. AS A RESULT, A DRAFT AGREEMENT, CONSISTING OF A JOINT DECLARATION AND THREE ANNEXES, WAS INITIALLED ON SEPTEMBER 26 BY THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR IN PEKING AND THE CHINESE VICE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MR ZHOU NAN. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON THE SAME DAY IN A WHITE PAPER IN LONDON AND HONG KONG AND LAID BEFORE THE HOUSE.

+1 SHOULD LIKE TO DRAW THE ATTENTION OF THE HOUSE TO THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT:

* IT CONSTITUTES A FORMAL INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT, LEGALLY BINDING IN ALL ITS PARTS. THIS IS THE HIGHEST FORM CE COMMITMENT THAT CAN BE GIVEN BY ONE SOVEREIGN STATE TO ANOTHER

**

*

*

IT DEALS IN CONSIDERABLE DETAIL WITH CHINESE POLICIES TOWARDS HONG KONG AFTER 1997. AND THUS PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK IN WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN PLAN AND WORK FOR A SECURE AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE;

IT THUS PROVIDES FOR HONG KONG'S DISTINCTIVE ECONOMIC ANL SOCIAL SYSTEMS, FREEDOMS AND LIFESTYLE TO CONTINUE UNCHANGED;

IT MAKES CLEAR THAT THE POLICIES WHICH IT SPELLS OUT FOR HONG KONG WILL BE STIPULATED IN A BASIC LAW TO BE PASSED BY THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, AND WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997.

/+IT IS