TNAG-1388-FCO40-1859-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Sino-British-Joint-Declaration-1985 — Page 301

14

Reference

Mr Powe11 HK Dept.

ник 040/12

HASTRY

8

CODE 18-78

RATIFICATION OF THE HONG KONG ACTION

AGREEMENT

П

You asked about the procedures for ratifying the Hong Kong Agreement. The se are set out in DSP vol. 66, Sections 6-8 and Annex 7 but briefly they are:

1. Laying before Parliament for 21 days under the Ponsonbyule. This has already been done when we laid the Agreement last September;

2. "nactment of any legislation required to give effect to the Agreement. I believe there is a Bill before arliament now This should be passed and receive the Royal Assent before we ratify;

3. For insertion in the instrument of ratification we require

a printed text

Now

of the Agreement in both languages. that the signed original has been received in London we have put in hand the printing of the Chinese.;

4. When steps 1 and 2 above have pleted we shall require a minute

been com-

asking

us to prepare the intrument of ratification The drafting and typing take only a few days; meanwhile...

5. Hong Kong Department will need to prep- are a submission to the S. of S. for his signature to the instrument;

6. It will then be sent to Peking under cover of a despatch (see Annex 5 to DSP 66) requesting that it be exchanged with that of China and the date of the exchange reported;

7.

E