TNAG-1984-FCO40-2817-Presentation-of-UK-policy-on-Hong-Kong-to-the-media-1989 — Page 66

HONG KONG: BULL POINTS

I:

THE NEGOTIATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION

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Question in 1984 was not whether Hong Kong would revert to China

but on what terms.

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Given that 92% of the territory was due to revert to China

by treaty in 1997 without any safeguards, the conclusion of the

Joint Declaration was a major achievement.

When we embarked on the negotiations, it was almost

inconceivable that Communist China would in due course sign an

internationally binding agreement, stipulating that socialism will

not be practised in Hong Kong for at least 50 years.

We negotiated hard for two years and took the Chinese to the

limits on many issues. There was general recognition that a document containing such detailed and comprehensive provisions was the best

that could have been achieved in the circumstances.

If we had not embarked on those negotiations China would in due

course have announced its own solution for Hong Kong. That would

have been far from satisfactory.

ALRAAF