TNAG-1342-FCO40-17722-Visit-by-Margaret-Thatcher--UK-Prime-Minister--to-Beijing-fo-1984 — Page 46

THE AGREEMENT FULLY MEETS THE POLITICAL REQUIREMENTS OF BRITAIN AND CHINA, AS WELL AS THE INTERESTS OF THE

HONG KONG PEOPLE. IT PROVIDES THE FRAMEWORK IN WHICH

AS A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S

REPUBLIC OF CHINA, HONG KONG WILL MAINTAIN ITS ECONOMIC SYSTEM AND WAY OF LIFE FOR 50 YEARS AFTER THE FIRST OF 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 APPROPIATE

IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISTATIONS AND AGREEMENTS. IT PRESERVES

HONG KONG'S FAMILIAR LEGAL SYSTEM AND THE RIGHTS AND

FREEDOMS ENJOYED THERE, IN SHORT IT PROVIDES THE ASSURANCES

FOR THE FUTURE WHICH HONG KONG NEEDS, IN ORDER TO

CONTINUE TO PLAY ITS UNIQUE ROLE IN THE WORLD AS A

TRADING AND FINANCIAL CENTRE.

THESE QUALITIES IN THE AGREEMENT HAVE BEEN RECOGNISED BY

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND BY THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE

NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS OF CHINA, WHICH HAVE APPROVED

THE INTENTION OF OUR GOVERNMENTS TO PROCEED TO SIGNATURE.

THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO A THOROUGH PUBLIC

DEBATE AMONG THOSE WHOSE FUTURE IT WILL DERTERMINE THE

PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE EXPRESSED SOME

RESERVATIONS AND SOUGHT CLARIFICATION ON PARTICULAR POINTS,

THEY HAVE CLEARLY JUDGED IT ACCEPTABLE TO THEM AS A WHOLE. THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN WIDELY PRAISED BY OTHER GOVERNMENTS,

IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND IN FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC CIRCLES. THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

HAS DESCRIBED IT AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE

WAY IN WHICH DIFFICULT INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS CAN BE

SUCCESSFULLY RESOLVED. INTERNATIONAL GOODWILL AND SUPPORT WRGL BE VITAL FOR HONG KONG IN THE FUTURE, AND N HAVE NO DOUBT THAT

IT WILL BE FORTHCOMING.

IESHOULD LIKE TO PAY A TRIBUTE TO THE LEADERS OF CHINA

FOR THE VISION AND FARSIGHTEDNESS OF THEIR APPROACH TO THE

NEGOTIATIONS. THE CONCEPT OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS'' PRESERVING TWO DIFFERENT POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS WITHIN ONE NATION HAS NO PRECEDENT. IT OFFERS AN

IMAGINATIVE RESPONSE TO THE SPECIAL HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES

OF HONG KONG. THE CONCEPT IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW APPARENTLY ITRACTABLE PROBLEMS CAN, AND SHOULD BE RESOLVED.

THE AGREEMENT 4S A BASIS ON WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL BUILD. THEY WILL BRING TO THE TASK ENERGY, PERSISTENCE AND DETERMINATION FOR WHICH THEY ARE REIGHTLY FAMOUS THROUGHOUT

THE WORLD. AM CONFIDENT THAT THEY WILL MAKE HONG KONG AN

EVEN MORE FLOUR:ISING PLACE THAN IT IS TODAY.

BRITAIN AND CHINA SHARE A CONTINUING RESPONSIBILITY TO

MAINTAIN THE CONDITIONS WITHIN WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG

CAN REALISE THIS GOAL. WE HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION IN THIS

SOLENN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMNT. WE HAVE CREATED, IN THE SINO-

BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP, A FORUM FOR CO-OPERATION OVER

Ž

|ITS...