TNAG-1317-FCO40-1720-Future-of-Hong-Kong-meetings-of-the-Cabinet-Defence-and-Over-1984 — Page 127

ACCEPTABILITY

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HOW TO TEST THE ACCEPTABILITY OF ANY AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE IN

HONG KONG

INTRODUCTION

1. HMG is committed to seeking an agreement with the Chinese

Government on the future of Hong Kong which is acceptable to China, to Parliament and to the people of Hong Kong. This paper considers how we can best ascertain whether any agreement is acceptable to the

people of Hong Kong prior to putting that agreement to Parliament.

2.

A process of consultation with the people of Hong Kong has been

under way since the beginning of the negotiations. The views and

opinions of Hong Kong have been brought to bear on our conduct of

the talks through consultation with EXCO, through Ministerial visits

and through the information-gathering of the Hong Kong Government.

Consultation has entered a new and more intensive stage since the

Foreign Secretary's 'unveiling' statement in Hong Kong on 20 April.

This initiated a fuller and more informed debate, which will

probably pass through three phases:

(a) The present phase, when the people of Hong Kong know the

outlines of the likely agreement and have been told that a

continuation of British administration after 1997 is not

achievable;

(b) (probably) in the summer, after a further Ministerial

statement, when they are aware of more of the details both post

and pre-1997;

(c) September when a draft agreement with the Chinese has been

published and prior to a full debate in Parliament, probably in

November.

THE PERIOD UP TO SEPTEMBER

3. We need to develop as much as possible the concept that the process of consultation with the people of Hong Kong has been underway from the beginning of the negotiations.

It is very

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