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CONFIDENCE.
6. HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HAD BY THIS TIME, FOLLOWING A
DETAILED EXAMINATION OF THE PROBLEM CONDUCTED IN CONSULTATION
WITH THE THEN GOVERNOR, CONCLUDED THAT CONFIDENCE WOULD BEGIN TO
ERODE QUICKLY IN THE EARLY TO MID-1980S IF NOTHING WAS DONE TO
ALLEVIATE THE UNCERTAINTY CAUSED BY THE 1997 DEADLINE.
ACCORDINGLY, WHEN THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG VISITED PEKING IN
MARCH 1979 AT THE INVITATION OF THE CHINESE MINISTER OF FOREIGN
TRADE, AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE, ON THE INITIATIVE OF HER MAJESTY'S
GOVERNMENT, TO SOLVE THE SPECIFIC QUESTION OF LAND LEASES
EXPIRING IN 1997. THESE DISCUSSIONS DID NOT RESULT IN MEASURES
TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
7.
IN THE COURSE OF THE NEXT TWO YEARS THERE WAS INCREASING
AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO REMOVE THE UNCERTAINTY WHICH THE 1997
DEADLINE GENERATED, AND SOME DISCUSSION OF HOW THIS MIGHT BE
ACHIEVED. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE WAS PUBLICLY STRESSED BY
THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN MAY
1982. IN JANUARY 1982 SIR (THEN MR) HUMPHREY ATKINS, LORD PRIVY
SEAL, VISITED PEKING AND WAS GIVEN SIGNIFICANT INDICATIONS OF
CHINESE POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG BY CHINESE LEADERS, WHICH
CONFIRMED THE VIEW OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT THAT NEGOTIATIONS
SHOULD BE OPENED WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA
8. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT DECIDED THAT
THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO CHINA IN SEPTEMBER 1982 WOULD
PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD REACHED THE SAME CONCLUSION, AND
SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSIONS TOOK PLACE DURING THE VISIT. FOLLOWING A
MEETING BETWEEN THE PRIME MINISTER AND CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING ON
24 SEPTEMBER 1982 THE FOLLOWING JOINT STATEMENT WAS ISSUED:
'TODAY THE LEADERS OF BOTH COUNTRIES HELD FAR-REACHING TALKS IN A
FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. BOTH LEADERS
MADE CLEAR THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS ON THIS SUBJECT.
THEY AGREED TO ENTER TALKS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS FOLLOWING
THE VISIT WITH THE COMMON AIM OF MAINTAINING THE STABILITY AND
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