TNAG-2709-FCO40-3915-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 34

Some two months ago, we renewed our efforts to get talks

underway with China. Since then, there have been intensive

diplomatic contacts in Peking. It may be useful for the House

if I set out the basis on which we were prepared to hold

discussions.

First, we accepted that the talks should be on the basis of

the Joint Declaration, the principle of convergence with the

Basic Law and the relevant understandings and agreements

reached between Britain and China. We consider the Governor's

proposals to be wholly compatible with these.

Second, as I made plain to the House on 10 March, we told the

Chinese side that the British team in these discussions would

include representatives of the Hong Kong Government on the

same basis as other officials taking part in the talks.

has been the practice for many years.

This

In a further effort to get talks started, we and the Governor

decided, with the advice of the Executive Council in Hong

Kong, to postpone the original plan to publish the draft

electoral legislation in Hong Kong's Official Gazette on 12

February. As the diplomatic contacts proceeded, we held up

publication for five weeks. But we told the Chinese side that

it was not possible to delay indefinitely, given the need to

pass legislation before the Legislative Council rose for its

summer recess in July.

sosstatement15.3No1