UNCLASSIFIED
HKC040/4
MAY
2 3 MAY 1990
UNCLASSIFIED
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 23010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 1012
OF 22103OZ MAY 90
INFO DESKBY 22130OZ OTTAWA
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
35
141363
MDHOAN 9151
MIPT: TEXT OF PRESS RELEASE
HONG KONG: UNIQUE SOLUTIONS TO A UNIQUE PROBLEM
1. IN A SPEECH TONIGHT THE HON FRANCIS MAUDE MP, MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, OUTLINED JUST HOW UNIQUE THE NEGOTIATION OF THE INTERNATIONALLY-BINDING JOINT DECLARATION WAS, AND THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN SINCE TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG'S WAY OF LIFE WILL NOT CHANGE FOR A MINIMUM OF 50 YEARS AFTER 1997. HE SAID:
2.
QUOTE IN EVERY SENSE, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANOTHER COLONY LIKE HONG KONG. BECAUSE OF ITS EXTRAORDINARY HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN INEVITABLE IN PRACTICAL TERMS THAT ON THE 1ST OF JULY 1997 IT WOULD REVERT TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY. AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE A MORE DRAMATIC CONTRAST BETWEEN HONG KONG'S DRIVING, PUSLING ECONOMY, THE QUINTESSENCE OF CAPITALISM AND ITS SOCIALIST COUNTERPART ON THE MAINLAND. FOR YEARS, THE FEAR WAS THAT WHEN THE HANDOVER TOOK PLACE, CHINA WOULD SIMPLY ABSORB HONG KONG, AND THAT EXTRAORDINARY CHEMISTRY THAT HAS MADE HONG KONG UNIQUELY EXHILARATING WOULD SIMPLY DISSOLVE.
3.
IT WAS OUR SPECTACULAR ACHIEVEMENT TO REACH AGREEMENT IN THE
JOINT DECLARATION FOR HONG KONG'S WAY OF LIFE TO SURVIVE
UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FOR HONG KONG TO HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY, WITH ITS EXISTING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS, ITS LAWS AND ITS BASIC FREEDOMS INTACT.
BUT OF COURSE THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF JEREMIAHS TO DERIDE THESE PAPER GUARANTEES. I HAVE TWO ANSWERS FOR THEM. THE FIRS1
IS THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION IS A BINDING INTERNATIONAL
AGREEMENT, REGISTERED AT THE UNITED NATIONS. THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA HAS NEVER BROKEN SUCH AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT. IN THE LAST YEAR, CHINA'S LEADERSHIP HAVE BEEN AT
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