TNAG-1311-FCO40-1673-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 89

and political and ecomoric, social and cultural rights."

Secure arrangements had been made both for the recognitions of

existing land leases after 1997 and for the extersim of lesses exçiring before

1997 and for the granting of new leases for terms of up to 50 years beyond.

1997.

The

package

under which Hồng Kong will become a special administrative

district of Ghim is planned to be ratified by the middle of next year and

legislation to put the agreement into effect will be brought before Parliament in the New Year. The agreement provided that the policies

under which Hong Kong will becque part of China will remain unchanged

for 50 years. Sir Geoffrey added: "I know that the Chinese leaders

understand the great importance of this. I am confident, too, that they will

have noted the hape, which has been widely expressed in recent weeks, that

the people of Hong Kong will be fully consulted about the drafting of the law” *.

A joint liaison group which would be charged with the tasks of

consulting to the implementation of the joint declaration and of discussing

matters relating to the smooth transfer of government in 1997, a

as well as

exchanging information, would remain in being until the year 2000. The

interests of Hong King would need to be represented on the joint liaison

group.

One or two HPS in last night's debats expressed misgiving about

People future citizenship and the possibility that some Hong Kong he could

become "stateless persons". The Foreign Secretary said: he Chines8

Government were not prepared to agree that anyone born in Hong Kong after 1997 should acquire British nationality by virtue of their connection with

Hong Kong.

"What we have achived is agreement with the Chinese Government an

~Territories neastres which will mean that those who are British Bependent at iterios

citizens before 1 July 1997 can retain during their lifetime an appropriate

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