TNAG-1844-FCO40-2619-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 14

CE MAR 33

FROM SO! TECH RADIO 14:18

TO FIO NEMS

FRGE.01S

COMMENT :

M

TRANSCRIPT A BONG KONG SELECT CONNITTEE MEETING

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22 MAR 89

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It is important your auswer in that you understand that this will continue for at least the 50 year period because clearly there could be, if you had not bad that understanding, or if you do not have that understanding, your agreements in the Joint Liaison Committee of course are of very short duration.

FOREIGN SECRETARY:

What we are doing in the JLG is filling out, putting flesh if you like on the bones of the Joint Declaration, making sure it has got a substance that will endure for at least as long as the

Jolut Declaration endures,

CHAIRMAN:

Para 3.12 of the Joint Declaration of course refers to the question of the shaping of the Basic Law and I wonder if we could

Kr Rowlands. just concentrate on that for a moment.

R ROVLANDS:

Secretary of State, the second draft of the Basic Law was issued on 21 February and there is this consultation period now until the end of July, But you make a very important statement in paragraph 42 of your Memorandum when you say "although the draft in the Basic Law is a matter for the Chinese Government, British Government have the right to satisfy themselves that its provisions fully accord with the terms of the Joint Declaration",

the