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It is in a spirit of pride and of optimism about the
future that I now return to sign the Agreement, which is the
result of these talks.
I know you will agree that the negotiations were not
always easy. At certain points, there were difficult
decisions to be made on both sides. There were moments of
tension. To overcome these difficulties, we needed to draw
on a shared fund of goodwill, on friendship, and on a common
commitment to Hong Kong's future. This was what made success
possible, and I should like to pay tribute to the dedication
of the two negotiating teams and all their supporting staffs,
under the guidance of Sir Geoffrey Howe and the State
It is thanks
Counsellor and Foreign Minister Wu Xuequian.
to the imagination and resource which they showed that we can
sign the Agreement today.
The Agreement fully meets the political requirements
of Britain and China, as well as the interests of the Hong
Kong people. It provides a framework in which, as a
Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China,
Hong Kong will maintain its economic systems and way of life
for 50 years after 1 July 1997. It gives Hong Kong a high
degree of autonomy. Hong Kong people will administer Hong
Kong and the Special Administrative Region will pass its own
legislation.
It allows Hong Kong to continue to decide its own
economic, financial and trade policies and to participate
as appropriate in international organizations and agreements.
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