TNAG-1388-FCO40-1859-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Sino-British-Joint-Declaration-1985 — Page 74

133

GRS 400

UNCLASSIFIED

DESKBY 27040OZ (HONG KONG)

DESKBY 27073OZ (FCO)

FM PEKING 270258Z MAY 85

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 831 OF 27 MAY.

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG.

132 MIFT: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RATIFICATION

1. THE TEXT OF ZHOU NAN'S SPEECH IS AS FOLLOWS:

BEGINS

YOUR EXCELLENCY AMBASSADOR EVANS, COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS,

COPY

HKK 040/12.

SINY

PA

р.а.

JUST NOW I HAD THE HONOUR TO EXCHANGE WITH HIS EXCELLENCY

THE AMBASSADOR EVANS, ON BEHALF OF OUR RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS, INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG AND JOINTLY WE SIGNED THE PROTOCOL OF THE EXCHANGE OF INSTRUMENTSOF RATIFICATION. WITH THE ECHANGE OF THE INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION, THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION FORMALLY CAME INTO EFFECT. TOGETHER WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AN IMPORTANT MISSION. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY

TO EXPRESS MY WARM CONGRATULATIONS TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE AMBASSADOR AND THE OTHER BRITISH FRIENDS PRESENT HERE.

FROM NOW ON, HONG KONG HAS ENTERED THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD. THE CURRENT SITUATION IN HONG KONG IS VERY GOOD. IN THE COMING 12 YEARS, THE COMMON RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHINESE AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENTS IS TO MAINTAIN AND DEVELOP STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG AND ENSURE THOROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE SMOOTH TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT IN 1997, WHICH ACCORDS WITH THE COMMON INTERESTS OF ALL THE CHINESE PEIPLE, INCLUDING OUR COMPATRIOTS IN HONG KONG, AND THE BRITISH PEOPLE. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE CHINESE AND THE BRITISH SIDES WILL MAKE UNREMITTING EFFORTS AND COOPERATE CLOSELY TO THIS END. WE EXPECT THAT THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP SET UP TO ACHIEVE THE ABOVE-MENTIONED OBJECTIVE AND THE SINO-BRITISH LAND COMMISSION ESTABLISHED TO HANDLE RELATED LAND QUESTIONS WILL ALSO DISCHARGE IN EARNEST THE IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS ENTRUSTED TO THEM BY THE TWO GOVERNMENTS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION.

ALL Taken

/THE