TNAG-1388-FCO40-1859-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Sino-British-Joint-Declaration-1985 — Page 189

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FM PEKING 040825Z APR 35

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 484 OF 4 APRIL.

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

HKK 040/12.

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PEKING TELNO 472: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATHONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS

(NPC)

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THE FOLLOWING IS A VERBATIM TRANSLATION OF THE PEOPLE'S DAILY REPORT OF FOREIGN MINISTER WU XUEQHAN'S SPEECH TO THE NPC ON 3 APRIL.

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STATE COUNCILLOR AND FOREIGN MINISTER WU XUEQIAN SAND THAT THE SIGNATURE OF THE SNO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION AND THE SATISFACTORY SOLUTION OF THE HONG KONG QUESTION IS A MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS WORK OF THE NEW CHINA AND IS THE JOINT ACHIEVEMENT OF THE FRIENDLY CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF BRINTAHIN AND CHINA. HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS AS AN IMPORTANT EVENT BOTH IN MODERN CHINESE HISTORY AND ON MODERN WORLD HISTROY. IT SIGNIFIES THAT THE CHINESE PEOPLE HAVE MADE A SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARDS THEIR MIGHTY GOAL OF REUNIFYING THE MOTHERLAND, AND IT WILL CERTAINLY HAVE A DEEP INFLUENCE ON PUTTING AN EARLY END TO TAIWAN'S SEPARATION FROM THE MAINLAND AND TO COMPLETING THE REUNIFICATION OF THE MOTHERLAND. HT HAS ALSO PROVIDED NEW EXPERIENCE IN THE PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES AND ESPECIALLY OF PROBLEMS BETWEEN NATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT OVER FROM HISTORY. IT HAS NOT ONLY WON THE SUPPORT AND BACKING OF THE PEOPLE OF THE ENTIRE NATION, WHICH INCLUDES THE BROAD MASS OF HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS, BUT HAS ALSO RECEIVED WIDESPREAD WELCOME AND APPROVAL INTERNATIONALLY.

3. ENTRUSTED BY THE STATE COUNCIL, WU XUEQIAN GAVE AN EXPLANATION THIS AFTERNOON TO THE THIRD SESSION OF THE SIXTH NPC CONCERMING THE SUBMISSION FOR EXAMINATION AND APPROVAL OF THE SINO-BRITISH AGREE- MENT ON HONG KONG. HE SAID, ON 19 DECEMBER 1984 PREMIER ZHAO ZARYAND AND THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THACTHCER REPRESENTING RESPECTIVELY THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS FORMALLY SIGNED THE JOINT DECLARATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KUNGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG''. PRIOR TO THAT THE LEADERS OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS' DELEGATIONS HAD INITIALLED THE ''JOINT DECLARATION' ON 26 SEPTEMBER 1984. ON 6 NOVEMBER | WAS ENTRUSTED BY THE STATE COUNCIL TO REPORT TO THE EIGHTH SESSION OF THE STANING COMMITTEE OF THE SIXTH NPC ON OUR NATHON'S BASIC PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES ON HOW TO SOLVE THE HONG KONG QUESTION, AND ON THE COURSE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS AND THE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. THE MEETING EXPRESSED TS SATISFACTION WITH OUR GOVERNMENT'S WORK IN SETTLING THE HONG KONG QUESTION, AND ENDORSED THE ENTIRE TEXT OF THE JOINT DECLARAT- *HON'' HMNT HALLED BY THE TWO SIDES. THE JOINT DECLARATION AS FORMALLY SIGNED CONTAINED NO ALTERATIONS AT ALL FROM THE INSTALLED DOCUEMENT. ACCORDING TO A RESOLUTION OF THE EIGHTH SESSION OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE SIXTH NPC DATED 14

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