TNAG-2168-FCO40-3105-House-of-Commons-Foreign-Affairs-Committee-inquiry-into-Hong-1990 — Page 80

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Standing Committee of the NPC if there is a turmoil within

the SAR which (a) endangers national unity or security, and

(b) is beyond the control of the Government of the SAR. It

would seem clear from this that a state of emergency could

not be declared by the mainland authorities in respect of

local emergencies only affecting Hong Kong or emergencies

which had a wider effect but could nevertheless be

controlled in Hong Kong by the Government of the SAR. It

would be difficult to deprive the national authorities of power to act in a state of turmoil threatening national

unity or security if the turmoil were beyond the control of

the SAR authorities.

Stationing of PLA troops in Hong Kong

(The Committee will ask precisely how and when we urged the

Chinese to take account of Hong Kong sensitivities in this

area, and with what result)

3. The Joint Declaration (JD 148) provides for China to

station military forces in the Hong Kong SAR after 1997 for

the purpose of defence but states that they "shall not

interfere in the internal affairs of the HKSAR" and that

"expenditure for these military forces shall be borne by the

CPG". Following Tinanmen Square, this provision caused considerable concern amongst Hong Kong people. On 5 July

Sir G Howe undertook in Parliament to raise this matter

with the Chinese Government. We have urged the Chinese on a

number of occasions to treat this matter with sensitivity.

For example, it was raised by:

-

Sir G Howe in a letter to Wu Xuegian the former Chinese

Foreign Minister last July;

- during meetings between Mr Major, the then Foreign

Secretary, and the Chinese Foreign Minister in Paris in July

(in margins of Paris Conference on Cambodia) and in New York

in September (in margins of UNGA); and

- at JLG XIII in late September.

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