Q.1.
At the annual conference of the Conservative Party last October, you said that the agreement on the question of Hong Kong reached between Britain and China is one of the British Government's ‘two major diplomatic success’ this year. Now, Your Excellency, could you please say a few words more on the great significance of the agreement reached by our two governments?
A.
The agreement reached between the British and Chinese Governments on the future of Hong Kong is an historic one. It is the conclusion of two years of negotiations, which began after my visit to Peking in September 1982. Our common aim, stated after my meeting with Chairman Deng Xiaoping, is to preserve the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. I believe the agreement enables us to achieve that aim.
It is an agreement that provides for the future of Hong Kong and its people well into the twenty-first century. Most important, it is an agreement that meets the concerns and wishes of the Chinese Government, of the British Government and of the people of Hong Kong.
The concept of ‘one country, two systems’ put forward by Chinese leaders is an imaginative one. The very positive international welcome that the agreement has received carries recognition that it contains lessons for the world. Javier Perez de CuellarThe Secretary General of the United Nations has described it as an example for other countries of the way in which difficult international problems can be successfully resolved.
Hong Kong is a remarkable place. I believe that this agreement will enable Hong Kong to continue to play its role as a regional economic, commercial and financial centre. I am sure that the people of Hong Kong, resourceful and resilient as they are, will build on this agreement to make Hong Kong even more prosperous. [end p1]
Q.2.
The British and Chinese Government agreed in the Joint Declaration that a proper negotiated settlement of the question of Hong Kong is conducive to the maintenance of the prosperity and stability in Hong Kong. Now, the date of signing the Joint Declaration is imminent and the Declaration shall enter into force on the date of the exchange of instruments of ratification, which shall take place before 30 June 1985. Would you like to talk about how the two sides should make joint efforts of collaboration to ensure the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong?
A.
I will travel to Peking accompanied by the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, to sign the Joint Declaration on 19 December. My presence at the signature ceremony will signify the high importance attached by the British Government to co-operation with the Chinese government over the implementation of the agreement.
Following signature, legislation will be put to the British Parliament to allow the Government to ratify the agreement before 30 June 1985.
Although ratification will mark the end of the negotiations there is still much to be done together by the two Governments. Both sides want to ensure that there is a smooth transition on 1 July 1997 so that the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong can be maintained.
To this end the two sides have agreed to establish a Sino-British Joint Liaison Group, to be set up when the agreement enters into force with the functions of conducting consultations on the implementation of the Joint Declaration, of discussing matters relating to the smooth transfer of Government in 1997 and of exchanging information and conducting consultations on such subjects as may be agreed by the two sides. One of the most important subjects for discussion in the coming years will be the action necessary to enable Hong Kong to maintain its participation in such international arrangements as the GATT and the MFA.
The implementation of the agreement will be a complex and unprecedented task. It will require the closest possible co-operation between the British and Chinese Governments. We are committed to this. I am sure both sides will collaborate in the same spirit of friendship and trust that produced the agreement. [end p2]
Q.3.
As the Joint Declaration says, the conclusion of the agreement is conducive to the further strengthening and development of the relations between the two countries on a new basis. I find that the exchange of friendly visits between the two countries has apparently increased recently. The Governors of Sichuan and Kwangdong provinces of China have just paid visits to Britain and they received cordial and enthusiastic receptions. And Your Excellency met with Governor of Kwangdong Mr Liang Linguang and made an important statement.
Now, as you are going to China to sign the Joint Declaration on behalf of the British Government, would you please say something about your or your government's ideas on how to further strengthen and develop the relations between Britain and China?
A.
As the preamble to the Joint Declaration states, the agreement is based on the friendly relations existing between the two Governments and peoples in recent years. Relations between the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom are excellent. I hope that the agreement will give further opportunities to strengthen the links between our Governments and our people. I greatly look forward to this, my third visit to China in seven years. I had great pleasure in receiving the Governor of Guangdong recently. I hope that the flow of visits at all levels between our two countries will increase, and play a part in promoting mutual understanding. [end p3]
Q.4.
Just before you are due to leave for China, Your Excellency, have you got any other words which you want me to convey to the Chinese readers?
A.
I go to China at a time when contact between our two countries at all levels and in many fields is already greater than ever before. I look forward to discussing with Premier Zhao Ziyang and other Chinese leaders how we can build on the trust and understanding established in the negotiations on Hong Kong to accelerate the development of new cooperation. Britain and China have much to learn from each other. A fuller and more frequent dialogue, and a relationship of greater substance, particularly in the economic field, can only benefit our two peoples.