CONFIDENTIAL
Parliament. Legislation would be required.
The issue of
sovereignty will be dealt with fully in the proposals that the government hope to put to this House later in the year. The package
of arrangements which we bring to the House then must be judged
and will be decided upon as a whole.
When will draft agreement be published?
12.
Too soon to say precisely. But we are working to a timetable
in the talks which takes account of Chinese wishes and of all our
own requirements. We are aware of the Chinese desire for an
announcement in September. At same time we recognise that any
arrangements negotiated must subsequently be debated by Parliament
taking into account Hong Kong's views.
Nature of Agreement
13. We are seeking a binding and detailed agreement in which a
framework of arrangements providing for the maintenancae of Hong
Kong's systems, laws and way of life will be formally recorded.
Basic Law
14. The question has been raised of whether the essentials of the Basic Law that the Chinese have said they will enacct for Hong Kong after 1997 would be enshrined in the agreement that both sides are
aiming to conclude. Clearly I cannot go into details about the content of the talks or of a likely agreement. But it is clearly very important that the eventual Basic Law should reflect the
content of the agreement, which we hope to see take the form of a
binding agreement setting out the arrangements to be maintained in
Hong Kong for at least 50 years after 1997.
(For use only if pressed on relationship in time between ratification and drafting of Basic Law].
I cannot, as members will understand, go into the details of our
position in these confidential negotiations.
CONFIDENTIAL
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