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DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)
Chinese Government on Hong Kong had to be acceptable to the people of Hong Kong. The Governor of Hong Kong was member of the British negotiating team and the British Government took care to ensure that members of the Executive Council, the Governor's closest advisers, were kept fully informed of developments and consulted at every stage in the negotiations. The negotiations had t be conducted on a strictly confidential basis. But British Ministers paid a series of visits to the territory to keep in touch with opinion, so that this could be taken into account in the negotiations.
In Confidence
9.
After the agreement was initialled in September 1984, an Assessment Office was set up in Hong to analyse and assess the views of Hong Kong people on the draft Agreement. The work of the Assessment Office was overseen by a team of eminent independent monitors to ensure complete impartiality. The Assessment Office found that the draft Agreement had been widely endorsed by the people of the territory: there was general recognition that a document containing such detailed and comprehensive provisions for Hong Kong's future was the very best that could have been achieved. It was widely welcomed as a major diplomatic achieved.
IV: Consultation with the British Parliament
10. The British Parliament took a close interest in the
course of the negotiations and in the Joint Declaration
There were debates on Hong Kong in October and
itself.
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