TNAG-1332-FCO40-1762-Future-of-Hong-Kong-White-Paper-on-the-Joint-Declaration-1984 — Page 123

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THE FORM AND CONTENT OF DOCUMENTS WHICH WOULD SET OUT

ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE WITH CLARITY AND PRECISION,

IN LEGALLY BINDING FORM.

13. SIR GEOFFREY ALSO ANNOUNCED ON THE SAME OCCASION THAT THE

TWO SIDES HAD AGREED TO ESTABLISH A JOINT LIAISON GROUP WHICH

WOULD COME INTO BEING WHEN THE AGREEMENT CAME INTO FORCE AND

CONTINUE UNTIL THE YEAR 2000. IT WOULD MEET IN PEKING, LONDON

AND HONG KONG UNTIL 1 JULY 1988 WHEN IT WOULD ESTABLISH ITS

PRINCIPAL BASE IN HONG KONG, ALTHOUGH IT WOULD ALSO CONTINUE TO

MEET THEREAFTER ALSO IN LONDON AND PEKING. IT WAS AGREED THAT

THE GROUP WOULD NOT BE AN ORGAN OF POWER. ITS FUNCTIONS WOULD

BE: LIAISON, CONSULTATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT,

AND EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION. IT WAS AGREED THAT IT WOULD PLAY NO

PART IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG. HER MAJESTY'S

GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE

ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UP TO 1997.

14. (OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS) LAST PHASE OF NEGOTIATIONS. (CLOSE

SQUARE BRACKETS)

CONSULTATION WITH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG

15. FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE NEGOTIATIONS HER MAJESTY'S

GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN CONSCIOUS THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS CONCERNED

THE INTERESTS AND FUTURE OF THE FIVE AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE OF

HONG KONG. IT HAS BEEN HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT'S CONSISTENT

POSITION THAT ANY AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE

FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF

HONG KONG AS WELL AS TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT.

16. THE NEGOTIATIONS HAD TO BE CONDUCTED ON A BASIS OF

CONFIDENTIALITY. THIS WAS CRUCIAL TO THEIR SUCCESS, BUT THE

MAINTENANCE OF CONFIDENTIALITY ALSO CAUSED MUCH CONCERN AND

ANXIETY AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHO WERE UNDERSTANDABLY

ANXIOUS TO KNOW WHAT WAS BEING NEGOTIATED FOR THEIR FUTURE. ALL

MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AS THE GOVERNOR'S CLOSEST

ADVISERS, WERE KEPT FULLY INFORMED ON THE NEGOTIATIONS AND

CONSULTED ON A CONTINUING BASIS THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. THE

UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS

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