TNAG-2507-FCO40-3648-Official-visits-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 89

IV.

Joint Liaison Group

- 7 -

Feb 17: Briefings by UC & USD

20.

In accordance with the JD, the British Government

was responsible for the effective administration of HK

before 30.6.1997. However, any matters straddling 1997 and

involving obligations of the HKSAR should be put to the JLG

for consultation between the two sides. If the two sides

failed to reach agreement at the JLG, the matters should be

subjects of direct discussions between the two governments.

Feb 21: Press interview

21.

no

The JD provisions on the role of the JLG should be

read in context. JD 183 (the JLG shall be an organ for

liaison and not an organ of power) ended with a full stop

(this is not the case in the English text) and that implied

that JLG was not an organ of power only in that it played

role in the administration of Hong Kong or the HKSAR and

had no supervisory role over that administration. Anything

that affected а smooth transition should be discussed in

the JLG which had the power to reach binding agreements.

If no agreement could be reached in the JLG, the matter

should be referred to

two Governments for solution

through consultation. Agreements reached in the JLG were

the

binding because the JLG had been established in accordance

with the provisions of the JD and its job was to ensure the implementation of the JD.