TNAG-1313-FCO40-1688-Future-of-Hong-Kong-views-and-involvement-of-Australia--Cana-1984 — Page 175

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00 WELLINGTON

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Theil

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SECRET

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GRS 541

SECRET

FM FCO 241755Z SEP 84

TO IMMEDIATE WELLINGTON

TELEGRAM NUMBER 237 OF 24 SEPTEMBER 1984

MIPT: HONG KONG: MESSAGE TO MR LANGE

1. FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF MESSAGE:

BEGINS: AS YOU WILL KNOW FROM YOUR OFFICIALS, WHOM WE HAVE

BRIEFED DURING OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, WE

ARE SET TO INITIAL AN AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG ON

26 SEPTEMBER. THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CHINESE HAVE TAKEN TWO

YEARS: THEY HAVE BEEN TOUGH AND DETAILED: BUT I AM GLAD TO SAY

THAT WE NOW HAVE WHAT WE REGARD AS A GOOD. AGREEMENT: OUR HIGH

COMMISSION WILL BE GIVING YOU A COPY OF IT SHORTLY BEFORE IT IS

INITIALLED.

WE HAVE NEGOTIATED AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT, LEGALLY

BINDING ON THE TWO PARTIES TO IT. UNDER ITS PROVISIONS, THE

UK WILL CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF

HONG KONG UNTIL 1 JULY 1997. CHINA WILL THEN RESUME SOVEREIGNTY

AND HONG KONG WILL BECOME A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE

PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FOR A SMOOTH

TRANSITION TO HONG KONG'S NEW STATUS, AND ALSO FOR THE

CONTINUATION OF THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF HONG KONG'S SYSTEMS AND

WAY OF LIFE.

THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS OUR AIM HAS BEEN

TO SECURE THE BEST POSSIBLE FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH HONG KONG'S

UNIQUE AND HIGHLY DEVELOPED SOCIAL, LEGAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS

COULD BE MAINTAINED AND DEVELOPED. I BELIEVE THAT THE AGREEMENT

WHICH WE HAVE REACHED PROVIDES FOR SUCH A FRAMEWORK. INEVITABLY

COMPROMISES HAVE BEEN NECESSARY BY BOTH SIDES. BUT THE AGREEMENT

CONTAINS THE KEY FEATURES WHICH WE SET OUT TO SECURE. IT IS

UNEQUIVOCALLY A BINDING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT: IT DESCRIBES

WITH SUFFICIENT DETAIL AND CLARITY THE HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY

WHICH HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO ENJOY AFTER 1997 AND THE SPECIFIC

1

SECRET

/ ARRANGEMENTS.