TNAG-1339-FCO40-1771-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 64

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CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 14103OZ F C O

RECEIVED # REGISTRY

17 DEC 1984

FM HONG KONG 140915Z DEC.84

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 3797 OF 14 DECEMBER

DEGET

OZFICER

INDEX

PA

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

358

-17

REGISTRY

Action Taken

377

394

TOP COPY

YOUR TELS NOS 2484 AND 2485: PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT OHONG KONG: SPEECH TO JOINT SESSION OF EXCO AND LEGCO

1. WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING MINOR COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT IN SECOND TUR. THEY HAVE NOT (NOT) BEEN SEEN BY THE GOVERNOR, WHO MAY HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS OF HIS OWN:

(A) PARA 3: STRICTLY SPEAKING THE PROCESS WILL NOT BE

''CONCLUDED'' UNTIL THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN RATIFIED. AMEND

THE FIRST SENTENCE TO READ: ''THOSE SIGNATURES WERE ALSO THE CULMINATION OF A PROCESS WHICH BEGAN TWO YEARS AGO...''

(B) PARA 4 SECOND SENTENCE SHOULD PRESUMABLY BEGIN:

''FOR US ON THE BRITISH SIDE..

·

(D) PARA 14: SOME OF THE RESERVATIONS AND CONCERNS BROUGHT OUT IN THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE REPORT WERE OF A GENERAL NATURE. WE SUGGEST OMITTING THE WORDS 'ON INDIVIDUAL POINTS' AT THE

END OF THE FIRST SENTENCE.

(E) PARA 19: THE SECOND SENTENCE IS NOT WHOLLY ACCURATE AS DRAFTED.

WE SUGGEST AMENDING THE END OF IT TO READ: ''... TO BE

PRESERVED THROUGHOUT THE LIVES OF HONG KONG BRITISH DEPENDENT

TERRITORIES CITIZENS BORN BEFORE 1 JULY 1977.''

(F) PARA 20: WE AGREE WITH YOUR PROPOSED AMENDMENT.

(G) PARA 22: THE THIRD SENTENCE READS A LITTLE ODDLY AS TRANSMITTED

AND MAY HAVE BEEN GARBLED. WE WOULD PREFER: THERE IS ALREADY THE ASSURANCE THAT THE VERY FULL AND DETAILED PROVISIONS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION AND ITS FIRST ANNEX WILL BE STIPULATED IN

THE BASIC LAW.''

(H) PARA 26: THE WORDS ''IN ACCORDANCE WITH SHOULD PRESUMABLY BE

SUBSTITUTED FOR ''IN'' BEFORE ''THE INTERESTS AND WISHES OF ITS PEOPLE' AT THE END OF THE SECOND SENTENCE.

(1) PARA 27 SECOND SENTENCE: WE SUGGEST THE INSERTION OF ''FULL**

BEFORE 'RESPONSIBILITY FOR RUNNING THEIR OWN AFFARIS

THE FINAL WORDS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE AGREEMENT'' DEFINE

THE LIMITS WITHIN WHICH THAT FULL RESPONSIBILITY WILL BE

EXERCISED.

CONFIDENTIAL

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