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was real and it is important.
Parliament would have expected
no less before approving the intention of the Government to
sign the Agreement.
I welcome the fact that the Assessment Office Report
has given a clear account of the reservations and concerns
which people quite understandably feel on individual points.
This will be of great value to us when we begin the task of
putting the Agreement into effect.
The success of any international agreement, of course,
depends upon the good faith and the commitment of the
signatories.
I bring to you the strongest possible commitment
We shall do our
on the part of Her Majesty's Government.
utmost to ensure that the Agreement works and I bring from my
talks in Peking with the most senior Chinese leaders a similar
commitment. They assured me that for their part that the
Agreement would be faithfully implemented.
Indeed, Premier
Zhao Ziyang assured me yesterday in Peking that it was the
tradition of the Chinese nation to act in good faith, to live
up to its international commitments, and that China would
prove its words with its deeds, Chairman Deng Xiaoping
confirmed this.
Of course, you still have your concerns and I
understand them. On
nationality questions, for instance,
that we would find a way to allow all Hong Kong British
Dependent Territory citizens born before 1 July 1997 to
continue to travel on British passports and to enjoy British
consular protection in third countries. I know you are
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