TNAG-1332-FCO40-1762-Future-of-Hong-Kong-White-Paper-on-the-Joint-Declaration-1984 — Page 283

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CHINESE GOVERNMENT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY VISITED

PEKING FROM 15 TO 18 APRIL. DURING HIS MEETINGS WITH CHINESE

LEADERS THE TWO SIDES REVIEWED THE COURSE OF THE TALKS ON THE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG, AND FURTHER PROGRESS WAS MADE. IN HONG KONG

ON 20 APRIL SIR GEOFFREY HOWE MADE A STATEMENT ON THE APPROACH OF

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO THE NEGOTIATIONS. HE SAID THAT IT

WOULD NOT BE REALISTIC TO THINK OF AN AGREEMENT THAT PROVIDED FOR

CONTINUED BRITISH ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997: FOR

THAT REASON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN EXAMINING WITH THE

GOVERNMENT OF CHINA HOW IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO ARRIVE AT

ARRANGEMENTS THAT WOULD SECURE FOR HONG KONG, AFTER 1997, A HIGH

DEGREE OF AUTONOMY UNDER CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY, AND THAT WOULD

PRESERVE THE WAY OF LIFE IN HONG KONG, TOGETHER WITH THE

ESSENTIALS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEMS.

12.

AFTER SIR GEOFFREY HOWE'S VISIT NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUED ON

THE SAME PATTERN AS BEFORE. IN ADDITION A WORKING GROUP WAS

ESTABLISHED IN JUNE 1984 TO MEET FULL-TIME IN PEKING AND CONSIDE

DOCUMENTS TABLED BY BOTH SIDES. IN JULY 1984 THE FOREIGN AND

COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY AGAIN VISITED PEKING. THE VISIT WAS

DEVOTED ALMOST ENTIRELY TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. VERY

SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS WAS MADE TOWARDS AGREEMENT ON 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. SQUARE BRACKETS START PARAGRAPH ON THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP

SQUARE BRACKETS END.

14.

SQUARE BRACKETS START LAST PHASE OF NEGOTIATIONS. SQUARE

BRACKETS END

CONSULTATION WITH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG

15.

IT

FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE NEGOTIATIONS HMG HAVE BEEN

CONSCIOUS THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS CONCERNED THE INTERESTS AND

FUTURE OF THE FIVE AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

HAS BEEN HMG'S CONSISTENT POSITION THAT ANY AGREEMENT WITH THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY WOULD HAVE TO

BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AS WELL AS TO THE

BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

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