TNAG-1750-FCO40-2470-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 77

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feel betrayed because they had Declaration largely on the

basis

accepted the Joint that a democratic

and representative system of government would be in place before 1997.

Are we to take

it then

that all the promises

of

democracy made to the people of Hong Kong and to the 1985 should only be

British Parliament in 1984 and treated as history?

Breach of the Joint Declaration

(a)

(b)

By the Chinese Government

On 21st November

of the Xinhua News first

1985, Mr. Xu Jiatun, the director

in Agency

during conference, press that the British Government

had

Hong

Kong, which he committed

gave insinuated a breach

his

that the of political meeting then

of the Joint Declaration by attempting to introduce political reforms in Hong Kong and demanded

governments

discuss the

two

question reforms at the next Joint Liaison Group

scheduled

to

week. The

resistence.

take place in Beijing the following British side

af ter initial senior Chinese Government strongest

complied

Since then,

in warned,

officials have repeatedly

the

possible language, that Hong Kong must not introduce changes until after the any major political

promulgation of the Basic Law in 1990; and that Hong introduce direct elections in 1988. Kong must not

by China and the acquiescence by

Such

demands Britain are clearly

Joint

Declaration,

Liaison Group will

by officials from

to the

of opposed

the spirit which

that specifies

the Joint discuss matters related to the

transition only after 1991. A summary of statements

both

governments

the press is set out in Annex 3.

as

We believe that such statements made

officials

in are

reported

by

in

Chinese

"the

clear breach of Clause 4 of the

that specifically Joint Declaration which says Government of the United Kingdom will be responsible

as well as for the administration of Hong Kong" breach of paragraphs 4 and 5 of Annex II, on the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group.

By the British Government

Although

the initial

in

reactions of the British Government at the end of 1985 were that it would not

accordance with Annex be in

of I I

the Joint Declaration for the JLG to discuss matters relating to the political

in Hong Kong during first half of the transitional period, the British

has

the

reforms

since given

arguing up

reforms political

As capitulated.

with the

but

public

Chinese Government

Government

effectively

Government, the

on

has for the Hong Kong perception is that it will

11. 1

ant