TNAG-1985-FCO40-2818-Presentation-of-UK-policy-on-Hong-Kong-to-the-media-1989 — Page 123

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NG KONG : BULL POINTS

JOINT DECLARATION

Question in 1984 was not whether Hong Kong would revert to China in 1997 but on what terms. We negotiated long and hard to secure best possible terms.

When we embarked on the negotiations, almost inconceivable that Communist China could have been made to sign an internationally binding agreement which stipulates that socialism will not be practised in Hong Kong for at least 50 years and which assures continuation of Hong Kong's capitalist system and way of life.

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No less remarkable that China should now be drafting a Basic Law for Hong Kong, meticulous in detail and comprehensive in scope, designed to give legal effect to assurances of Joint Declaration. Have conducted fruitful dialogue with Chinese about the draft. Not yet qui right but opportunities for further improvement.

Joint Declaration not relegated to history: constant point of reference in all our discussions with Chinese. Everything which we have agreed with Chinese about Hong Kong's future consistent with provisions of Joint Declaration.

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENTS IN HONG KONG

Firmly committed to steady development of representative government in Hong Kong. Remarkable progress already made. When Joint Declaration was agreed in 1984 there were no elected members of Legislative Council. Now 26 members almost half the total

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are directly elected. In 1991, 10 directly elected seats will be introduced. And there will be further changes between now and 1997. Confident that by 1997 Hong Kong will have a well established system of representative government capable of further steady development in subsequent years.

1987 Review of representative government in Hong Kong showed that overwhelming majority of Hong Kong people favoured gradual evolution of more representative government. They did not want to force the pace, because they did not want to jeopardise political stability on which Hong Kong's prosperity and way of life depend.

Draft Basic Law enshrines principle of universal suffrage as ultimate objective for election of future Hong Kong legislature and Chief Executive. In this respect, draft Basic Law goes beyond what was said in Joint Declaration about future political system.

Task now is to devise timetable and mechanisms for introduction of universal suffrage in Hong Kong which will command confidence of community as a whole. At present, opinions in Hong Kong are divided. We hope that, as debate develops, consensus will emerge to guide Basic Law drafters.