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DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)
administration in any form was unacceptable to the
Chinese Government and that the talks would break down if
the British Government continued to insist on it. Since
most of Hong Kong would in any case under the Treaty pass
under Chinese jurisdiction in 1997, the only way forward
was to explore the possibility of negotiating
arrangements under Chinese sovereignty which would
command sufficient confidence to ensure Hong Kong's
future stability and prosperity.
In Confidence
7. From October 1983, the two sides began to examine in
detail how to devise arrangements to secure for Hong Kong
after 1997 a high degree of autonomy under Chinese
sovereignty; and which would enable Hong Kong, as a
Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of
China, to preserve its existing way of life and the
essential elements of its present system. A great deal
of work was required in order to turn this concept that
of "one country two systems" into a written agreement
that embodied such arrangements with sufficient clarity
and precision to be acceptable to the British Government.
The Foreign Secretary paid two visits to Peking in
April and July 1984, during both of which substantial
progress was made. That paved the way to final
agreement: the texts were initialled on 26 September
1984.
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III: Consultation with the people of Hong Kong
8. The negotiations were conducted on a strictly
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