TNAG-1752-FCO40-2472-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 43

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the full and faithful implementation of all the provisions of the Joint Declaration, we are undertaking a new and unprecedented task. This requires a spirit of co-operation and good will between Britain and China and a fair measure of flexibility and mutual understanding in overcoming specific problems as they arise. It also requires the patience and understanding of the people of Hong Kong while this process is underway: we seek to involve them as fully as possible in this process, so as to ensure that their views are taken fully into

account.

4.

The Sino-British Joint Liaison Group, set up under the Joint Declaration, is the forum in which our consultations with the Chinese take place. Its task is a daunting one: it has to cope with a plethora of technical and practical detail all of which needs to be satisfactorily covered before 1997. I am glad to report that the Joint Liaison Group has made substantial progress since it began to meet in 1985. We have reached agreement with the Chinese in a number of important areas, such as Hong Kong's membership of certain international organisations such as GATT; Air Services; and certain nationality matters. The JLG is currently holding its ninth plenary meeting in Hong Kong at this moment and has, I understand, again made useful progress. From 1 July 1988, the JLG will take Hong Kong as its principal base, although plenary meetings will continue to take place in rotation in Peking and London, in accordance with the

The move to Hong Kong will provisions of the Joint Declaration. nonetheless be an important step forward, and will signify further intensification of our working contacts with the Chinese on Hong

Kong.

5. Another important step forward took place on 10 February with the publication by the Hong Kong Government of their White Paper on

The House had an the development of Representative Government. opportunity to express its views on the subject on 11 February and While some members the Government has taken careful note of them. took the view that the White Paper should have gone further, many others recognised the major importance of the decisions it contained. We are also most encouraged by the general reaction to the White Paper by Hong Kong people: there are of course some who are sharply critical. But I believe that the majority have welcomed