CHINA AT THE INVITATION OF OUR GOVERNMENT AND CONDUCTED FAR REACHING. TALKS WITH OUR LEADERS ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG. LEADERS OF THE TWO SIDES MADE CLEAR THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS ON THIS QUESTION AND AGREED TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS. THIS BEGAN THE DIPLOMATIC TALKS BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG.
FROM OCTOBER 1982 TO JUNE 1983 THE TWO SIDES CONDUCTED DISCUSSIONS MAINLY ON CERTAIN MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE AND REACHED AGREEMENT ON AN AGENDA FOR THE TALKS AND ON CERTAIN PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS.
IN JULY 1983, THE TALKS ENTERED A SECOND PHASE. FROM THE START OF THIS PHASE UP TO SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR THE DELEGATIONS OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS HELD ALTOGETHER 22 POUNDS OF TALKS.
SIR
IN APRIL AND JULY THIS YEAR THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY, GEOFFREY HOWE, MADE TWO VISITS TO PEKING AT THE INVITATION OF OUR GOVERNMENT. HIS MEETINGS WITH CHINESE LEADERS IN PERSON PLAYED A LARGE ROLE IN FURTHERING THE PROGRESS OF THE TALKS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE DELEGATIONS OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS CONDUCTED DETAILED NEGOTIATION ON THE TEXT AND WORDING OF AN AGREEMENT AND REACHED FULL AGREEMENT
ON 18 SEPTEMBER.
APART FROM THE EXPLANATIONS I MADE JUST NOW CONCERNING OUR BASIC POLICIES TOWARDS HONG KONG, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A FEW ESSENTIAL EXPLANATIONS OF OTHER MATTERS RELEVANT TO THE AGREEMENT:
(1) IN GENERAL, ISSUES BETWEEN STATES RELATING TO TERRITORY AND SOVEREIGNTY ARE DEALT WITH IN THE FORM OF TREATIES. BUT OUT OF CONSIDERATION FOR THE FACT THAT OUR GOVERNMENT'S BASIC POLICIES TOWARDS HONG KONG FALL WITHIN OUR INTERNAL AFFAIRS, THEY HAVE HAD TO BE SET OUT AND DECLARED BY OUR SIDE ALONE. AT THE SAME TIME THE USE OF THE FORM OF A JOINT DECLARATION'' IS NORE APPROPRIATE FOR THE PRESENTATION OF MATTERS CONCERNING SOVEREIGNTY AND ADMINISTRATION
EXPLANATIONS OF THE RELEVANT DETAILS ARE GIVEN IN THE FORM OF AN ANNEX. OF COURSE, IN A BROAD SENSE, THE JOINT DECLARATION IS ALSO A FORM OF INTERNATIONAL TREATY AND IT HAS THE SAME FORCE IN INTERNATIONAL LAW AND IS LEGALLY BINDING.
(11) THE UNTIMATE AIM OF THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS WAS TO AFFIRM THE RECOVERY OF HONG KONG BY THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE RESUMPTION OF THE EXERCISE OF HER SOVEREIGNTY OVER IT. FOLLOWING SERIOUS AND EARNEST NEGOTIATIONS THE TWO SIDES AGREED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION TO GIVE CLEAR EXPRESSION TO THIS. ARTICLE 1 OF THE JOINT DECLARATION STATES: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA DECLARES THAT TO RECOVER THE HONG KONG AREA (INCLUDING HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES, HEREINAFTER REFEPRED TO AS HONG KONG) IS THE COMMON ASPIRATION OF THE ENTIRE CHINESE PEOPLE AND THAT IT HAS DECIDED TO RESUME THE EXERCISE OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JULY 1997'
ARTICLE 2
7
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.