TNAG-1844-FCO40-2619-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 12

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TRAJSCRIPT A HONG KONG SELECT COMMITTER MERT LEG

22 TAR 89

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FORBIGE SECRETARY:

Well as you know Chairman, the role of the JLG after 1997

continues until 1 January 2000, so that for that two and a half

years after July 1997 the British Government, will be in a position, through the JLG, still to monitor and influence the

implementation of the Joint Declaration.

This particular provision for the continuation beyond 1997 of something to which the representatives of Hong Kong attached

the greatest importance during our negotiations, we wished to establish a mirror image going beyond 1997 of formal Joint partnership of this kind, and when we succeeded in securing Chinese agreement to that it was probably welcomed by the people of Hong Kong almost more than anything else as a visible

demonstration of our continuing commitment to the implementation

of the Joint Declaration.

CHAIRMAN:

Is there any chance that the Joint Liaison Group might go on

after that, further into the future?

FOREIGN SECRETARY:

That has not been suggested Chairman and not I think

canvassed anywhere.

But I hope very much that the habit and

practice and pattern of liaison, which will have been built up

over a long period of time, will be able to continue in one form

or another.