TNAG-1338-FCO40-1770-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 56

GR 4-50

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FUTURE EGRET

FM HONG KONG 270925Z NOV 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 3619 OF 27 NOVEMBER

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TOP COPY

HKK 040/57.

INDEX

27 NOV 1984

FICER

PA

aken

132

میری

FUTURE EGRET 126

YOUR TELNO 2340 AND MY TELNO 3610: PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH

IN HONG KONG.

1. I SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING FOR INSERTION IN THE DRAFT:

*'9. HONG KONG, MORE THAN MOST PLACES, LOOKS OUTWARD FOR ITS LIVELIHOOD. IT FINDS READY MARKETS IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD AND IT IS NATURAL THAT HONG KONG'S MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS AND THOSE WHO INVEST IN HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE WATCHED CAREFULLY THE OUTCOME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS. AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR TASK WAS TO SATISFY HONG KONG'S PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD THAT THEIR INVESTMENTS WOULD BE PROTECTED, THEIR SOURCES OF SUPPLY RELIABLE, AND THE IR FREEDOM TO MOVE FUNDS FREELY IN AND OUT WOULD REMAIN UNTRAMELLED. ALL THESE HAVE BEEN ASSURED IN THE AGREEMENT.

IN CONSEQUENCE IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THE GOVERNMENTS OF HONG KONG'S MAJOR TRADE PARTNERS HAVE ALREADY STATED THEIR APPRECIAT~ ION OF THE AGREEMENT AND HAVE IN MANY CASES PLEDGED TO ASSIST IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION. IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT THE MOST DETAILED PROVISIONS IN THE AGREEMENT, AND A CLEAR COMMITMENT TO AUTONOMY AND CONTINUITY, IS TO BE FOUND IN THOSE PARTS OF THE TEXT DEALING WITH THE FINANCIAL, MONETARY AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS AND EXTERNAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS. ALL THE ESSENTIALS WHICH SUPPORT THE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS WHICH HONG KONG HAS BUILT UP WILL BE PRESERVED:-

HONG KONG'S FREEDOM TO PURSUE ITS OWN ECONOMIC POLICIES IN

ACCORDANCE WITH ITS OWN NEEDS:

THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM, FREE TRADE POLICIES AND THE FREE

PORT:

HONG KONG'S SEPARATE POSITION WITHIN THE GATT AND OTHER TUMULTILATERAL TRADE ARRANGEMENTS: AND ITS FREEDOM TO DEVELOP ITS OWN ECONOMIC AND TRADE RELATIONS WITH ALL STATES AND

RECIONS:

THE RIGHT OF COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO OWN AND DISPOSE OF PROPERTY: AND THE PROTECTION OF THESE RIGHTS IN LAW:

CONFIDENTIAL

|INDIVIDUAL