TNAG-2716-FCO40-3922-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 117

- We are currently discussing these matters with the Chinese side in the JLG. If this work were not to be completed by 1997 then there would be serious risk that the laws which were not compatible were declared to be invalid by the Standing Committee of the NPC. (eg Right of Abode in Hong Kong would be uncertain, and the basis on which land is leased would be

unclear and gaps might appear in the criminal law).

As the Governor said in his address in October it would be

irresponsible to let this happen, and we shall therefore be taking measures to ensure to ensure that our time-table is

adhered to.

The second aspect of this work is the continued application to Hong Kong of Multilateral and Bilateral treaties after 1997. We are discussing with the Chinese side the continued

application of some two hundred multilateral treaties. We have covered approximately half in the period since 1986. We therefore need to speed up our work. In addition we have a large programme of bilateral negotiations with other governments in such areas as air services, extradition and investment protection. If all these bilateral agreements are to remain in force in 1997 Chinese agreement is necessary.