CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 145
OF 220844Z JANUARY 88
AND TO IMMEDAITE HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
174170
MDHIAN 4638
HURB 040/2
TOP COPY
2Q DIST ?
662
J
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PARLIAMENTRY DEBATE ON HONG KONG:
CHINESE PRESS COVERAGE
1. FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A PIECE WHICH APPEARED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE CHINA DAILY ON 22 JANUARY (FROM WHICH YOU WILL NOTE THAT NO MENTION IS MADE OF WU XUEQIAN'S FORTHCOMING VISIT TO UK):
BEGINS
P
LONDON (XINHUA) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE SAID ON WEDNESDAY THAT CLOSE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS ARE VITAL TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 1984 JOINT DECLARATION ON HONG KONG. OPENING A DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON THE GOVERNMENT'S ANNUAL REPORT ON HONG KONG, HOWE SAID THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS HAVE DEVELOPED A PATTERN OF CLOSE AND PRAGMATIC COOPERATION OVER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION''.
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AND ''THE
HE SAID THAT ''BRITIAN AND CHINA ARE ENGAGED IN HONG KONG, IN A UNIQUE ENTERPRISE''. THEREFORE HE ADDED, HONG KONG LIES AT THE HEART ' OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS SUCCESS OF THE HONG KONG ENTERPRISE IS CRITICAL TO IT
UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION OFFICIALLY SIGNED IN BEIJING IN 1984, CHINA WILL REGAIN SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG IN 1997.
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THE BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY EXPRESSED SATISFACTION OVER THE
" 'FURTHER SOLID ACHIEVEMENTS'' BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE TWO GOVENMENTS DURING THE PAST YEAR, INCLUDING A SERIES OF AGREEMENTS ON HONG KONG'S CONTINUED, SEPARATE PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND VALUABLE WORK DONE ON THE DRAFTING OF A BASIC LAW FOR HONG KONG AFTER ITS RETURN TO CHINA AS A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION.
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HE WELCOMED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORT TO INVOLVE HONG KONG PEOPLE IN THE DRAFTING OF THIS LAW, NOTING THAT ALMOST HALF THE MEMBERS OF THE DRAFTING COMMITTEE COME FROM HONG KONG.
HE ALSO SAID THAT ''CERTAIN MISCONCEPTIONS'' THAT BRITAIN IS SEEKING TO BETTER ITS RELATIONS WITH CHINA AT THE EXPENSE OF THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG ''SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PERSIST''. BRITIAN
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CONFIDENTIAL
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