TNAG-1985-FCO40-2818-Presentation-of-UK-policy-on-Hong-Kong-to-the-media-1989 — Page 8

1

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret

Secret

DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)

Hong Kong people themselves had long accepted it.

But,

short of that, the Sino- British Joint Declaration

provides for Hong Kong to enjoy a very high degree of

autonomy after it becomes a Special Administrative Region

of the People's Republic of China in July 1997.

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

9. The Joint Declaration is a clear statement of the

determination of both Governments Britain and China

It

to preserve Hong Kong's existing way of life.

promises Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy to pursue

the policies needed to allow the territory to continue to

prosper. Among the provisions of the Joint Declaration

are that:

Hong Kong will have its own Government comprising Hong

Kong people, not people brought in from China;

the socialist system and socialist policies will not

be imposed on Hong Kong from China; nor will Hong Kong

pay taxes to China;

Hong Kong's capitalist system and its way of life will

continue, with all its human rights and freedoms, it laws

and its legal system, its own freely convertible

currency, its financial markets, its free port and so on;

-

Hong Kong will have autonomy to govern itself and in

most fields to pursue its own policies. Foreign and

defence affairs will be the responsibility of the

sovereign power

China

just as they are now Britain's