Handover ceremony for Hong Kong
Joint Liaison Group ambassadors Hugh Davies and Zhao Jihua today (Friday) signed an agreement on a handover ceremony for Hong Kong, to take place around midnight on June 30, 1997.
The reaching of the accord was announced yesterday by British Foreign Secretary, Malcolm Rifkind, following his meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen in New York. The Foreign Secretary also announced that Britain would stage a ceremony in Hong Kong at sunset on June 30 to mark the end of British administration.
The JLG accord says that there will a solemn and dignified ceremony between the British and Chinese governments marking both the handover and the establishment of the new Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The ceremony will be held in the Grand Foyer of the extension to the Convention and Exhibition Centre, now under construction on the waterfront of Hong Kong Island, and will be witnessed by guests from Britain, China, Hong Kong and overseas, including high level representatives from foreign countries and international organisations.
The agreement says that the ceremony will include the lowering of the Union and Hong Kong flags and the raising of the Chinese National Flag and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Flag. It makes clear that normal internationally accepted media handling arrangements will apply, and that the Hong Kong Police will be responsible for security.
There is to be further discussion of the details in the JLG.
A Hong Kong Government spokesman said: "We welcome this agreement. The handover is a historical event which will focus huge international interest on Hong Kong. The ceremony will provide an excellent opportunity to present Hong Kong and the concept of 'one country, two systems' to the world."
He added: "We will make the best possible arrangements to welcome guests coming to Hong Kong for the ceremony and to facilitate media coverage of the handover."
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.