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DESK BY 191OOOZ
FM CO LONDON
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO RETRACT 101
OF 190744Z DEC 24
AND IMMEDIATE NO TEN
FOR
FCO ID
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- ATTN EDMUNDS BROWN
456
040/57.
НСК
RECEIVE
TO 20 DEC 19841
IN
ITEM:
FCO NEWS DEPARTMENT
NO TEN PRESS OFFICE
ATTN CLARKE
- ATTN CAINES
HONGKONG SIGNING CEREMONY = AN HISTORIC MOMENT
BY GARY HICKS, LPS CHIEF DIPLOMATIC COPRESPONDENT
PEKING(LPS):
WITH THE BACKING OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY,
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION OF HONG KONG AND BOTH HOUSES OF
THE WESTMINSTER PARLIAMENT, PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THATCHER TODAY
(WEDNESDAY 19 DECEMBER SIGNED THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT ON THE
FUTURE OF THE CROWN COLONY AFTER 1997. PREMIER ZHAO ZIHANG SIGNED
FOR CHINA. AT A SIMPLE BUT IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY IN THE GREAT HALL
OF THE PEOPLE. THE OCCASION, WITNESSED BY THE GOVERNOR SIR EDWARD
YOUDE AND LEADING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COLONY'S FIVE AND A HALF
MILLION PEOPLE, CAN TRULY BE TERMED HISTORIC AND UNIQUE, IT WAS THE CLIMAX OF TWO YEARS OF DIFFICULT, HIDEOUSLY COMPLICATED, NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES INVOLVING 22 ROUNDS OF TALKS AND TWO VISITES TO THE CHINESE CAPITAL BY THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY,SIR GEOFFREY HOWE. THE RESULT IS AN IMPRESSIVELY DETAILED JOINT DECLARATION WHICH PLEDGES THAT HONG KONG'S FREE ENTERPRISE
SYSTEM, PLUS EXISTING RIGHTS AND FEEEDOMS, WILL CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST 50 YEARS AFTER IT COMES UNDER CHINESE RULE. MRS. THATCHER'S
PRESENCE AT TODAY'S CEREMONY APPARENTLY SIGNIFIES THE HIGH
IMPORTANCE ATTACHED BY BRITHIN TO COOPERATION WITH CHINA ON THE
COMPLEX AND UNPRECEDENTED TASK OF IMPLEMENTING THAT HAROWON
AGREEMENT. IT IS DUE TO COME INTO FORCE BY 30 JUNE NEXT YEAR
FOLLOWING THE PASSING OF LEGISLATION BY THE WESTMINSTER PARLIAMENT
WHICH ALONE CAN CONCEDE SOVEREIGNTY. THE PRIME MINISTER WAS GREETED
BY CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING AND MR. ZHAO ZIHANG IN THE WESTERN
HALL OF THE GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE, RED BOUND COPIES OF THE 200
PARAGRAPH WERE ON A TABLE AGREEMENT IN FRONT OF THE TWO PREMIERS.
MRS. THATCHER SIGNED THE CHINESE AND ENGLISH VERSIONS OF THE JOINTY
DECLARATION HELD BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. PREMIER ZHAO SIGNED
THE VERSIONS HELD BY CHINA. FOLDERS WERE THEN EXCHANGED SO THAT THE
OTHER SIDE'S DOCUMENTS COULD BE SIGNED BY EACH LEADER. THE BRITISH
MEMORANDUM AND TRANSLATION WAS INSERTED INTO THE CHINESE FOLDER AND
THE CHINESE MEMORANDUM AND TRANSLATION INSERTED INTO THE BRITISH FOLDER. MRS. THATCHER AND MR. ZHAO THEN EXHANGED FOLDERS AND MADE
SHORT SPEECHES. CHAMPAGNE TOASTS ENDED THE CEREMONY. IT LASTED
BARELY 30 MINUTES, YET MARKED A MOMENTOUS DEVELOPMENT NOT ONLY
IN HONG KONG HISTORY BUT IN RELATIONS BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES
WHICH HAVE SO MUCH IN COMMON. MOST IMPROTANT, IT WAS LIVING PROOF THAT
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