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5. WELL UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE CONCERNS ON PARTICULAR ISSUES WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED IN HONG KONG SINCE THE AGREEMENT WAS PUBLISHED. NATIONALITY IS ONE OF THESE ISSUES. THIS WAS BOUND TO BE A DIFFICULT ISSUE, BUT IT HAS BEEN SOLVED IN A PRAGMATIC WAY THROUGH AN EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA ASSOCIATED WITH THE AGREEMENT WHICH ENABLES THE PRACTICAL BENEFITS OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM TO BE PPESERVED FOR THE LIFETIME OF THE GENERATION ALIVE IN 1997. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA, NOR INDEED IN THE AGREEMENT ITSELF, WHICH COULD JUSTIFY THE IMPOSITION BY THIRD COUNTRIES OF NEW RESTRICTIONS ON THE FREEDOM OF ENTRY OF HONG KONG PEOPLE HOLDING THE NEW FORM OF PASSPORT AND ENJOYING THE NEW STATUS DESCRIBED IN THE UK MEMORANDUM. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE BRITISH
GOVERNMENT REGARDS IT AS PART OF ITS CONTINUING RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG TO EXPLAIN THIS FACT CLEARLY TO ALL THE COUNTRIES CONCERNED, AND WILL DEVOTE ALL NECESSARY EFFORTS TO DOING SO.
6. THE PUBLIC DISCUSSION IN HONG KONG SINCE THE AGREEMENT WAS PUBLISHED AS A DRAFT HAS UNDERSTANDABLY DWELT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BASIC LAW, TO WHICH REFERENCE IS MADE THROUGHOUT THE AGREEMENT. ALTHOUGH THE BASIC LAW IS TO SOME EXTENT AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY, THERE IS ALREADY THE ASSURANCE THAT THE VERY FULL AND DETAILED PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND ITS ANNEXES WILL BE STIPULATED IN THE BASIC LAW. FURTHERMORE, I HAVE RECEIVED FROM PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN AN ASSURANCE THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW SQUARE
BRACKETS END
SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN AN ASSURANCE THAT THE BASIC LAW WILL BE DRAFTED ON THE BASIS OF THE FULLEST POSSIBLE CONSULTATION WITH HONG KONG
PEOPLE SQUARE BRACKETS END.
7. BRITAIN'S RESPONSIBILITIES ARE NOT LIMITED TO ENCOURAGING OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO ASSIST WITH THE SMOOTH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT. OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UP TO 1997 IS CLEARLY STATED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, FROM THE OUTSET OF THE NEGOTIATIONS | MYSELF AND MY MINISTERIAL COLLEAGUES HAVE REPEATEDLY REAFFIRMED OUR COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG. THE TIME AND EFFORT DEVOTED TO THE NEGOTIATIONS AND THE AGREEMENT WHICH HAS
RESULTED FROM THEM IS AMPLE EVIDENCE OF THE STRENGTH OF THAT COMMITMENT. NOW THAT THE AGREEMENT IS SIGNED, I PLEDGE HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT'S FULLEST EFFORTS IN THE YEARS TO 1997 TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG CONTINUES TO HAVE A STABLE AND RESPONSIVE
GOVERNMENT ADMINISTERING HONG KONG IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF ITS
PEOPLE.
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18.
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