TNAG-1332-FCO40-1762-Future-of-Hong-Kong-White-Paper-on-the-Joint-Declaration-1984 — Page 247

DRAFT WHITE PAPER

SECRET

A DRAFT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE PRC ON THE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

PART ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. On September 1984 representatives of the Governments of the

United Kingdom and of the People's Republic of China initialled the draft text of an agreement on the future of Hong Kong. The agreement, contained in Part Two of this White Paper, consists of a joint declaration, together with three annexes and an associated

exchange of memoranda. These documents are the outcome of two years of negotiations between the two governments, undertaken with the common aim of maintaining the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong.

2.

The purpose of this White Paper is to present these documents in the context of the history of Hong Kong and of the last two years' negotiations and to explain their contents. The text of this White Paper is also being published in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Government, and the people of Hong Kong are being invited to comment on the overall acceptability of the arrangements which it describes.

Thereafter the matter will be debated in Parliament.

SECRET