Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the recent statement by the government of the People's Republic of China that the Sino-British joint declaration no longer has any practical significance nor any binding force.

The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific held a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador on 5 July in which he made clear that the UK Government did not accept the position of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson that the Joint Declaration was an historical document of no practical significance. He stressed, as a guarantor of the Joint Declaration, the UK Government regarded it as legitimate to continue to issue a six-monthly report to the House on Hong Kong affairs.

The Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Beijing also raised Her Majesty's Government's concerns with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 5 July stressing that the Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN. As a co-signatory, the UK Government is committed to monitoring its implementation closely.