TNAG-1413-FCO40-1889-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-report-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 100

CONFIDENTIAL

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IMPLEMENT THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION, THE STEADY PROGRESS

TO MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY, THE

SOCIAL AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES PROPOSED BY THE HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT, REFUGEES AND SECURITY.

II.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION

(A) JOINT DECLARATION

4. AFTER TWO YEARS OF NEGOTIATIONS A DRAFT AGREEMENT ON HONG

KONG WAS INITIALLED ON BEHALF OF THE BRITISH AND CHINESE

GOVERNMENTS ON 26 SEPTEMBER 1984. THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE

GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THE DRAFT

AGREEMENT, AND AN ASSESSMENT OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED TO COLLATE,

ANALYSE AND ASSESS THESE VIEWS. THE OFFICE REPORTED IN NOVEMBER

1984 THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOUND THE AGREEMENT

ACCEPTABLE. THEIR FINDINGS WERE CONFIRMED BY AN INDEPENDENT TEAM

OF MONITORS (CMND. 9407 (1984)). PARLIAMENT DEBATED THE

AGREEMENT IN THE LIGHT OF THESE VIEWS AND APPROVED HER MAJESTY'S

GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO SIGN IT.

5. ON 19 DECEMBER 1984 THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE CHINESE

PREMIER SIGNED THE JOINT DECLARATION IN PEKING. ONCE THE HONG

KONG ACT 1985 (C. 15) HAD BEEN PASSED BY PARLIAMENT, INSTRUMENTS

OF RATIFICATION WERE EXCHANGED ON 27 MAY 1985 AND THE JOINT

DECLARATION ENTERED INTO FORCE IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS REGISTERED BY

BOTH THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS AT THE UNITED NATIONS ON

12 JUNE 1985.

6.

UNDER THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION HER MAJESTY'S

GOVERNMENT DECLARES THAT IT WILL RESTORE HONG KONG TO THE

PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JULY 1997, AND THE

TWO GOVERNMENTS DECLARE THAT HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WILL BE

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UP TO THAT DATE.

BOTH GOVERNMENTS ARE COMMITTED TO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE

JOINT DECLARATION AND ITS ANNEXES.

(B) JOINT LIAISON GROUP

7. A SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED UNDER

THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WITH A VIEW TO THE EFFECTIVE

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND IN ORDER TO ENSURE A

SMOOTH TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT IN 1997 THE GROUP HELD ITS FIRST

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