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7. I BELIEVE THERE IS A BASIS ON WHICH THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAVE MADE IT CLEAR PUBLICLY THAT THEY RECOGNISE THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG, AND THAT THEY WANT ITS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS AND LIFESTYLE IN MANY WAYS SO DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OF MAINLAND CHINA TO REMAIN UNCHANGED. THEY HAVE ALSO UNDERLINED THEIR RECOGNITION THAT HONG KONG SHOULD CONTINUE AS AN AUTONOMOUS UNIT IN THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC FIELD. WE SHARE WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE COMMON INTEREST IN THESE OBJECTIVES. OUR APPROACH TO THE TALKS HAS, THEREFORE, BEEN TO EXAMINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA HOW IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO ARRIVE AT ARRANGEMENTS THAT WOULD SECURE FOR HONG KONG, AFTER 1997, A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY UNDER CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY AND THAT WOULD PRESERVE THE WAY OF LIFE IN HONG KONG, TOGETHER THE ESSENTIALS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEMS. 8. I BELIEVE THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SHARE THE DESIRE OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TO SEE THE CONTINUATION IN HONG KONG OF A SOCIETY WHICH ENJOYS ITS OWN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SYSTEMS AND
DISTINCT WAY OF LIFE. AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND IT IS POSSIBLE TO FORESEE A SITUATION IN WHICH HONG KONG WOULD, AS PART OF CHINA, ENJOY A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY WHICH WOULD LAST FOR AT LEAST 50 YEARS FROM 1997. IN SUCH A SITUATION, THAT AUTONOMY WOULD EXTEND TO ADMINISTRATION, THE MAINTENANCE AND MAKING OF LAWS, (INCLUDING THE COMMON LAW SYSTEM) THE CONTINUATION OF HONG KONG'S OWN FAMILIAR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUBLIC ORDER IN
THE TERRITORY. UNDER SUCH ARRANGEMENTS THE LAWS OF HONG KONG
WOULD BE BASED UPON THE PRESENT SYSTEM AND EXISTING FREEDOM WOULD BE MAINTAINED. HONG KONG WOULD MANAGE ITS OWN PUBLIC FINANCES. THERE WOULD A PLACE FOR OUTSIDE PEOPLE, FROM BRITAIN AND ELSEWHERE, TO GO ON MAKING A CONTRIBUTION TO LIFE IN HONG KONG. 9. GIVEN HONG KONG'S SIGNIFICANCE AS AN INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL CENTRE, IT WOULD BE OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE FOR ITS PROSPERITY THAT ITS PRESENT OPENNESS TO THE WORLD SHOULD BE MAINTAINED. UNDER THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT I HAVE OUTLINED ABOVE, I CAN VISUALISE THAT THE TERRITORY'S EXTENSIVE AND DIRECT ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD WOULD CONTINUE. IT WOULD REMAIN AN
IMPORTANT PARTICIPANT IN REGIONAL AND WORLD ECONOMIC
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