(b) Joint Liaison Group
7. A Sino-British Joint Liaison Group has been established under the tel 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 meeting in London from 22 to 25 July 1985. At that meeting the two sides agreed on the working procedures of the Group and on arrangements for Hong Kong to remain a member of the Asian Development Bank after 30 June 1997. The Group also discussed Hong Kong's continued participation in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the Multifibre Arrangement and the continued application of international rights and obligations to Hong Kong. It was agreed that discussion of these subjects would continue at the second meeting of the Group.
(c) Land Commission
8. A Sino-British Land Commission has also been established under the terms of the Joint Declaration to monitor and consult on land matters provided for in the Joint Declaration. It held five meetings between 10 July and 17 October 1985, all in Hong Kong. The Commission quickly reached agreement on a series of legal documents for use in land transactions. The Commission also determined the land disposal programme for the period from 27 May 1985, when the Joint Declaration entered into force, to 31 March 1986. The programme agreed for this ten-month period was 58 hectares, exercising the provision in the Joint Declaration which allows the specified annual limit of 50 hectares to be exceeded.
(d) Establishment of Basic Law Drafting Committee by Chinese National
People's Congress
9. Under paragraph 3(12) of the Joint Declaration the policies of the People's Republic of China regarding Hong Kong, which are set out in paragraph 3 of the Joint Declaration, and the elaboration of them in Annex I to the Joint Declaration will be stipulated in a Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China by the Chinese National People's Congress, and they will remain unchanged for 50 years. The Chinese National People's Congress has appointed a 59-member Basic Law Drafting Committee, 23 of whose members come from Hong Kong. The Chinese Government has also announced the formation of a Basic Law Consultative Committee in Hong Kong to reflect the views of the people of Hong Kong to the Drafting Committee. Her Majesty's Government have publicly welcomed the Chinese decision to consult the people of Hong Kong on a wide basis on the drafting of the Basic Law, and will follow the drafting process closely.
(e) Nationality and Passports
10. Paragraph 2 of the Schedule to the Hong Kong Act 1985 provides for a nationality Order in Council to be made to give effect to the terms of the United Kingdom Memorandum associated with the Joint Declaration. A White Paper containing a draft of this Order in Council was published on 17 October 1985 in London and Hong Kong (Cmnd. 9637). The draft Order provides for persons who are British Dependent Territories citizens by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong to lose that status on 1 July 1997 but to be entitled to apply before that date for a new status, to be known as that of British National (Overseas), together with a British passport recording that status. The draft Order also
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