TNAG-2716-FCO40-3922-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 152

clearly steps towards achieving the goal which both Governments have agreed

in the Joint Declaration should exist in Hong Kong after 1997 and then

should be preserved for a further 50 years. I see the measures that have

been taken, to sum up, as being reasonable steps that fall within the

discretion of Her Majesty's Government in exercising its administrative

functions in respect of Hong Kong and which give effect certainly not just

to the letter but I would say to the spirit of the Joint Declaration as I

read it.

95.

Reasonable steps reasonably pursued?

(Mr Duffy) Yes, Chairman.

96.

Mr Keller?

(Mr Keller) I would agree with what Mr Duffy has had to say. I

think the only comment that I can add in addition to this which might be

useful is to note in regard to the Chinese obligation to co-operate (which

I think you made some note of earlier in the proceedings) that just as the

British Government cannot be bound by Chinese determination of exactly how

the Joint Declaration goals are to be achieved if they are not specifically

provided in the Joint Declaration, just as much the Chinese Government, in

co-operating with the British Government during this period leading up to

1997, of course is not bound to accept the British Government's position

exactly on how that general goal is to be achieved. It can only be done on

the basis of co-operation. You have something of a stand-off so it is not

possible to say simply because the British Government has found that this

is the best way to achieve the goal that the obligation to co-operate

involves any obligation to accept.

97.

So you are saying among other things that the phrase "previous

system and lifestyle" cannot be pressed too far or taken too literally?

(Mr Keller) I thought in the exchange on that point that one has

not to become overly technical. The Chinese agreed to the lifestyle as in

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