TNAG-2033-FCO40-2896-Visit-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1990 — Page 110

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friend the member for Aylesbury and the noble Ld Lord

Ennals, for their thorough and expert report on the

first 51 to go back. I would welcome monitoring by the

UNHCR and other agencies for all future returnees.

Mr Speaker, no-one in Hong Kong seriously disputes the

validity of the Joint Declaration as the basis for Hong

Kong's future after 1997. But confidence in the

concept of one country two systems was undermined by

the events of last June. The Chinese Government have

reaffirmed their commitment to the Joint Declaration.

We must make it work. An important element in that is

the extent and pace of democratisation in Hong Kong

before and after 1997. This is a subject of intense

concern and debate in Hong Kong and of discussions with

the Chinese Government. Those discussions are

continuing and I shall not go into detail today. Our

goal is to set in place a system starting with

elections to the Legislative Council in 1991 which will

satisfy Hong Kong's aspiration for democracy and which

will endure after 1997. I hope, after further

discussion, to be able to announce a decision within

the next few weeks.

Mr Speaker, Hong Kong is the economic success story of

a region which boasts several economic miracles. As

you look across the border into China you see that the