TNAG-1404-FCO40-1879-Future-of-Hong-Kong-National-People-s-Congress-1985 — Page 17

REALISING THE REUNIFICATION OF OUR COUNTRY. FACTS DEMONSTRATE AND

WILL CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS CONCEPT IS ENTIRELY FEASIBLE

AND FULL OF VITALINTY.

8.

WU XUEQIAN SAND THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE SHINO-BR‹HT•HSH TALKS

SHOULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE GREAT FORESIGHT SHOWN IN THE POLICY

DECISIONS OF THE LEADERS OF CHINA AND BRITAN AND TO THE COMMON

EFFORTS OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS. AS A RESULT OF THE SATISFACTORY SOLUTION OF THE HONG KONG QUESTION, THE FRIENDLY COOPERATIVE RELATIONS ALREADY EXISTING BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN HAVE ENTERED

A NEW HISTORICAL STAGE. OUR GOVERNMENT IS FULLY CONFIDENT OF THE

HAPPY PROSPECT FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE

TWO COUNTRIES.

9. HE SAND, AFTER CHINA AND BRITAIN COMPLETE THE LEGAL PROCEDURES

OF RATIFICATION FOR THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE HONG KONG QUESTION,

THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL EXCHANGE INSTRUMENTS OF RATIFICATION UN PEKING

BEFORE 30 JUNE THIS YEAR, AND THE JOINT DECLARATION'' WILL IMMEDIATELY ENTER INTO FORCE. FROM THE DATE OF ENTRY INTO FORCE, HONG KONG WILL ENTER A TRANSITION PERIOD, RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG WILL LIE WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, OUR GOVERNMENT WILL AFFORD COOPERATION. ACCORDING TO THE AGREEMENT,

IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ''JOINT

DECLARATION' AND TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSFER OF POWER IN 1997,

ON THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE JONT DECLARATION'' THE SNO-BRIT:}SH

JOINT LIAISON GROUP WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN ORDER TO CONDUCT CONSULTATION AND EXCHANGE INFORMATION ON RELEVANT MATTERS. AT THE SAME TIME, A LAND COMMISSION OF OFFICIALS FROM THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL BE ESTABLISHED IN HONG KONG, TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEALING WITH LAND LEASES IN HONG KONG AND OTHER RELATED MATTERS. COMPREHENSIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATHON'' II:S CONSISTENT WITH THE COMMON INTERESTS OF CHINA AND BRITAIN. OUR GOVERNMENT WILL BE RESOLUTE IN MAKING UNREMITTING EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT COMPREHENSIVELY THE ''JOINT DECLARATION. WE BELIEVE CHINA AND BRITAIN WILL CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO ADOPT A SPIRIT OF

FRIENDSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING, AND

NDUCT CLOSE AND EFFECTIVE COOPERATION.

10. WU XUEQIAN SAND NOW OUR COUNTRY IS ENTERING A NEW HISTORICAL ERA. THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATIONS IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY ARE EXCELLENT. A THRIVING AND PROSPEROUS MOTHERLANDS AN IMPORTANT GUARANTEE FOR HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. SINCE THE SIGNATURE OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION, HONG KONG SOCIETY HAS BEEN STABLE, THE ECONOMY HAS BEEN LIVELY AND THERE HAVE BEEN NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN ALL ENTERPRISES. WE BELIEVE DEEPLY THAT COMPATRILOTS IN HONG KONG, WHO HAVE A CONSISTENT TRADITION OF PATRIOTISM, WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY FORWARD THE SPIRIT OF BEING THEIR OWN MASTERS AND BY THEIR INTELLIGENCE, WISDOM AND HARD WORK WillLL CONTINUOUSLY MAKE NEW CONTRIBUTIONS TO HONG KONG'S STABILITY

AND PROSPERITY.

RESTRICTED

COMMENT.