TNAG-1388-FCO40-1859-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Sino-British-Joint-Declaration-1985 — Page 100

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114

22 MAY 1985

COPY

DD 210030Z PEKING

GRS 1015

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 210030Z TO BOTH

FM FCO 201445Z MAY 85

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING 210030Z

TELEGRAM NUMBER 463 OF 20 MAY

AND TO HONG KONG

(112)

YOUR TELNOS 766 AND 769: HONG KONG AGREEMENT:

1.

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AKK 040/12.

22 MAY 1985

DM 23/5 mp

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEWS DEPARTMENT WILL MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN PARAGRAPH 2

BELOW AT 210090Z. THEY WILL RESPOND TO FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS ON

THE LINES SET OUT IN PARAGRAPH 3. AS YOU WILL SEE, THEY WILL

CONFIRM THE NAMES OF OUR MEMBERS OF THE LAND COMMISSION IN

RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS. IF THE CHINESE COMPLAIN TO YOU ABOUT THIS YOU SHOULD REPEAT THE POINT THAT WE HAVE RELEASED THE NAMES TO AVOID DAMAGING SPECULATION THAT THERE MIGHT BE DISAGREEMENT OVER

MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION. THE PRESS HAVE ALREADY SPECULATED

ACCURATELY ON MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION AS WELL AS ON

MEMBERSHIP OF THE JLG. WE SEE NO POINT IN DENYING

THAT THE SPECULATION IS ACCURATE.

2. TEXT OF ANNOUNCEMENT:

'IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION OF

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND

NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF

CHINA ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG, SIGNED BY PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THATCHER AND PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG IN BEIJING ON 19 DECEMBER 1984, THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS HAVE DECIDED THAT INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WILL BE

EXCHANGED ÎN BEIJING ON 27 MAY 1985.

ANNEX 2 OF THE JOINT DECLARATION STATES THAT EACH SIDE SHALL DESIG- NATE A SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE, WHO SHALL BE OF AMBASSADORIAL RANK, AND FOUR OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP TO BE ESTABLISHED UPON THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY HAS NOW DECIDED TO DESIGNATE THE FOLLOWING AS BRITISH MEMBERS OF THE GROUP TO BE

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CONFIDENTIAL