TNAG-1411-FCO40-1887-Future-of-Hong-Kong--Hong-Kong-a-Change-of-Destiny---despatc-1985 — Page 55

2.

courageous advocacy there would not have been such a good agreement.

6.

In the final stages of the negotiations there were a number of difficult hurdles. One was to prepare the Hong Kong community for the prospect that the agreement would not provide for the continuation of British administration after 1997. Another was to bring the Chinese to accept that a unilateral declaration of their intentions would be insufficient: any agreement had to be internationally binding. A third was to ensure that the establishment of the Joint Liaison Group would not result in a form of "creeping condominium" undermining British administration over the next 12 years. The fourth was to show that the agreement was acceptable to the people of Hong Kong.

Į

1

The future of Hong Kong cannot be assured by the agreement alone. Britain will need to continue to stand up for Hong Kong's interests. The Chinese will need to demonstrate that they will refrain from interference and will respect the future autonomy of Hong Kong. There will be a need to establish a more visibly representative form of government through a process which must be conducted in parallel with the Chinese drafting of the future Basic Law for Hong Kong. International acceptance must be secured for the practical arrangements to sustain Hong Kong's autonomous status in a large number of fields. Finally, the smooth removal of the British link will be a delicate task particularly during the early 1990's when there will almost certainly be a new period of doubt and anxiety.