taken place in London on 18-21 July, was postponed as one of the
measures announced by Sir Geoffrey Howe following the Tiananmen
Square massacre. Under the Joint Declaration, there have to be
three JLG meetings a year. The Foreign Secretary therefore porposed to his Chinese opposite number on 30 July that the next plenary meeting should take place in London at the end of September.
Current Mood in Hong Kong
Confidence in Hong Kong was severely shaken by the events in China
in early June. The stock market dropped by over 30% and property
transactions all but ceased. However no institutions collapsed and the market is recovering
A
The British Government is doing all it possibly can to restore
confidence, building on the foundation of the Joint Declaration
Bill of Rights for Hong Kong, entrenching essential freedoms, will
be introduced as soon as possible. The programme for
democratisation is being carefully reviewed, with the aim of
ensuring that the pace of development is in line with the wishes of the people of Hong Kong. Britain will also be using every channel
open to it to make an effective input into the Basic Law drafting
process. The British Government have made clear to the Chinese
Government that it is above all for them to demonstrate through
their actions their commitment to the Joint Declaration and thereby
to begin to regain the trust of the people of Hong Kong
Nationality
Following the events of 3/4 June, anxiety in Hong Kong about the
future was manifested in renewed demands on the part of Hong Kong
people for the right of abode in the UK. There are currently about
3.28 million residents (out of a total population of about 5.7
million) who enjoy the status of British Dependent Territories
Citizens (BDTCs). An estimated 1.5 million actually hold BDTC
passports. Although Hong Kong people lost the automatic right of
abode in the UK as long ago as 1962, the issue has continued to be a
source of much resentment. The events of 3/4 June, and the prospect
of Hong Kong's reversion to China in 1997, brought these feelings to
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