TNAG-1472-FCO40-2003-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 152

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CONFIDENTIAL

HONG KONG: IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREEMENT:

JOINT LIAISON GROUP

JOINT LIAISON GROUP

Background

Implementation of the Hong Kong Agreement

1.

was

The Agreement on the future of Hong Kong initialled in Peking on 26 September 1984. The text of the Agreement was published as a White Paper in London and Hong Kong. An Assessment Office was established in Hong Kong

under the auspices of the Governor to collate and assess the opinion of the people of Hong Kong on the overall acceptability of the agreement. The Assessment Office concluded that the Agreement was broadly acceptable to most of the people of Hong Kong. Independent monitors of the assessment procedure concluded that the Assessment office had discharged its responsibilities properly, impartially

and accurately.

2.

Parliament debated the agreement in December 1984 in

the light of the Assessors' and Monitors' reports and endorsed Britain's intention to proceed to signature of the

Agreement. The Prime Minister and Chinese Premier Zhao. Ziyang signed the Agreement in Peking on 19 December 1984.

3.

The Hong Kong Act passed through Parliament and

received Royal Assent on 4 April

The Act 1985.

makes

provision for the termination of British sovereignty over Hong Kong as from 1 July 1997 and for other consequential and connected matters. It also enabled Britain to ratify

the Agreement.

The instruments of ratification

exchanged in Peking on 27 May 1985. Both sides registered the Agreement at the United Nations on 12 June 1985.

were

CONFIDENTIAL