TNAG-1332-FCO40-1762-Future-of-Hong-Kong-White-Paper-on-the-Joint-Declaration-1984 — Page 284

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16. THE NEGOTIATIONS HAD TO BE CONDUCTED ON A BASIS OF CONFIDENTIALITY. THIS WAS CRUCIAL TO THEIR SUCCESS, BUT IT ALSO PLACED A STRAIN ON THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHO WERE

UNDERSTANDABLY ANXIOUS TO KNOW WHAT WAS BEING NEGOTIATED FOR THEIR FUTURE. THE OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AS THE GOVERNOR'S CLOSEST ADVISERS, WERE GIVEN INFORMATION ON THE NEGOTIATIONS AND CONSULTED ON A CONTINUING BASIS THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS PROVIDED INVALUABLE ADVICE TO THE GOVERNOR AND TO MINISTERS ON THE ATTITUDE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TOWARDS THE NEGOTIATIONS.

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17. AT A NUMBER OF CRUCIAL POINTS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL VISITED LONDON FOR CONSULTATIONS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER AND OTHER MINISTERS. BRITISH MINISTERS ALSO PAID A SERIES OF VISITS TO HONG KONG, CONSULT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND UMELCO AND TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH OPINION IN THE TERRITORY. THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS WAS ABLE TO DESCRIBE THE APPROACH OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO THE NEGOTIATIONS IN HIS STATEMENT IN HONG KONG ON 20 APRIL 1984, AND TO FILL IN MORE DETAILS OF THE CONTENT OF THE AGREEMENT IN A FURTHER STATEMENT IN THE TERRITORY ON 1 AUGUST 1984. IN THE COURSE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, AND IN PARTICULAR SINCE THE STATEMENT OF 20 APRIL, NUMEROUS INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS IN HONG KONG HAVE MADE SPECIFIC PROPOSALS ON WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN AN EVENTUAL AGREEMENT. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE PROPOSALS

BY AND AND VIEWS EXPRESSED THROUGH A VARIETY OF CHANNELS THROUGH UMELCO, THROUGH DEBATES IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THROUGH THE PRESS, THROUGH INDIVIDUAL COMMUNICATIONS ADDRESSED TO

IN THIS WAY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT OR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT.

HMG HAVE SOUGHT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN NEGOTIATING WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT OVER THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY.

INTRODUCTION TO THE AGREEMENT

18. THE FULL TEXT OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT IS INCLUDED AS PART TWO OF THIS WHITE PAPER. IT CONSISTS OF A JOINT DECLARATION AND

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