TNAG-2786-FCO40-4005-Hong-Kong-UK-Parliamentary-and-other-interest-in-constitutio-1993 — Page 43

14 July 1993

Mr David Sumberg MP

House of Commons London

SW1A OAA

01215

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

14 JUL 1993

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

REGISTRY edien Taken

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

London SWIA 2AH

From The Minister of State

Mr Brake M.

Dear Dawid

Thank you for your letter to Douglas Hurd of 8 July enclosing two letters from your constituent Mr A,M Gunton of 52 Hays Road Prestwich, Manchester M25 5JY. The letter on contributions to the cost of Operation Granby has been passed to the Ministry of Defence for their reply. I have been asked to deal with the second letter on Hong Kong, as the responsible Minister.

Britain concluded three treaties with the Imperial Chinese Government relating to Hong Kong: The Treaty of Nanking in 1842 under which Hong Kong Island was ceded in perpetuity; the Convention of Peking 1860 under which the southern part of the Kowloon peninsula and Stonecutters Island were ceded in perpetuity; and the Convention of Peking 1898 under which the New Territories (comprising 92% of the land area of the territory) were leased to Britain for 99 years from 1 July 1898.

In the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which entered into force in 1985, the United Kingdom agreed to restore Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China with effect from 1 July 1997. All the land in Hong Kong (including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories) will revert to Chinese sovereignty on that date. Although there is no reference in the Joint Declaration to any of the nineteenth century treaties, it will have the effect of terminating all three of them on 30 June 1997.

Should Mr Gurton have any further questions on Hong Kong he would be welcome to write directly to Rod Bunten in Hong Kong Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, London SW1A 2AH.

سعد

The

ALASTAIR GOODLAD

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