§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of United Kingdom relations with China in respect of the handover of Hong Kong. [16000]
§ Mr. FatchettWe have entered a new, more constructive phase in our relations with China. Provided China continues to fulfill its pledge to respect the Joint Declaration, we believe Hong Kong will remain a bridge between Britain and China. When my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met his Chinese opposite number in New York in September, they agreed to work together on a whole range of bilateral and global issues.