TNAG-1840-FCO40-2615-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 55

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret

Secret

Confidential

DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)

expectations of many people, who had assumed from

statements made by the Chinese authorities before the

negotiations began that any agreement on Hong Kong's

future would be couched in very general terms.

Agreement was widely welcomed internationally as a major

diplomatic achievement.

The

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

IV: Consultation with the British Parliament

In Confidence

10.

The British Parliament took a close interest in the

progress of the negotiations and in the Joint Declaration

itself. There were debates on Hong Kong in October and

November 1983 and in May 1984. The draft Agreement was

presented to Parliament in a White Paper in September

1984. In thorough and wide ranging debates in December

1984,

the overwhelming majority of speakers expressed the

view that the agreement was an excellent one which

provided a sound basis for a stable and prosperous future

for Hong Kong after 1997. The Joint Declaration was

signed by the British and Chinese Governments on 19

December 1984. The Hong Kong Act 1985, providing for the

ending of British sovereignty and jurisdiction over Hong

Kong on 30 June 1997, was passed by Parliament and

received the Royal Assent on 24 April 1985.

11. The Agreement entered into force on 27 May 1985,

when instruments of ratification were exchanged in Peking

between the British and Chinese Governments.

On

12 June 1985 it was registered at the United Nations by

the two governments,

in accordance with the normal