Page 23 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

General

Secretary’s

Reports

Rev. N.W. Kwok

“HONG KONG, THE CHURCH AND THE (2) Under the brand new concept of "One Country
COUNCIL" Two Systems’’， the present social and economic
systems in Hong Kong and its citizens’ life-styles
I. HONG KONG AND ITS CHURCH will continue for 50 years.

It has often been said that the Christian church, China and Britian ratified the Agreement
being the Christ-like servant in this world, must allow about the Hong Kong，s future on 27th May, 1985.
the world to set its agenda. I believe this is the story With immediate effect, the transition period has
of the Hong Kong church for the past year. officially begun: the Joint Laison Group and the
Land Commission has started to work.
April 1984 to April 1985, which is the year
under review, is by far the most crucial year in Hong How did the church in Hong Kong respond to
Kong’s 143 year history. the 1997 issue?

In April 1984, the British Foreign Minister First, in the spring of 1984, an "Evangelical
advised the Hong Kong people to look at the future Declaration” ， 10-point affirmation regarding the
of Hong Kong realistically. Soon, after 2 years of "Christian Faith in times of Radical Social Changes’’
negotiations, the Sino-British Agreement on the was published. It was very widely studied by the
future of Hong Kong — in the form of a Joint more "evangelical" Christians.
Declaration (together with 3 annexes and an
exchange of memoranda) — was initialled on 26th Second, in the summer of 1984, a "Manifesto
September, 1984 by the heads of the 2 negotiating on Religious Freedom" drafted by the Hong Kong
teams, Zhou Nam and Richard Evans, and officially Christian Council and signed by more than 200
signed on 19th December, 1984 by the head of the local churches and church organizations came out.
2 governments, Zhao Ziyang and Margaret Thatcher. It was a descriptive statement about what the
churches in Hong Kong are doing. It also affirmed the
With the Hong Kong Bill passed in the British Christian commitment in facing imminent changes in
Lower House on 7th February, 1985, in the Upper Hong Kong.
House on 28th March, and the Queen’s "Assent" Third, on 6th to 8th September, 1984, 21 church
given on 4th April, as well as with the official representatives went to Beijing at the invitation of the
approval of the Agreement by the 3rd Session of Chinese Bureau of Religious Affairs of the State
China’s National People’s Congress on 10th April, Council. The delegation met with the heads of the
1985 and President Li Xian-nian's signature, all the Bureau and the Hong Kong and Macau Office of the
legalities relating to the Agreement were thus State Council. They went to exchange views rather
completed. than to make any demands. Nevertheless, Ji Pengfei,
the Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Office,
According to the Agreement, there are two main laid down in no uncertain terms 4 guiding principles
points regarding Hong Kong’s future: regarding the future of the church in Hong Kong:
(1) On 1st July, 1997, the Sovereignty and the (a) There will be religious freedom in Hong Kong
governing authority of Hong Kong will revert to after 1997; (b) The church in Hong Kong can
China. Hong Kong will then become a Special continue to provide social services to the wider
Administrative Region of China and will be community; (c) China’s Religious Affairs Bureau will
highly autonomous. With the exception of not set up a branch office in Hong Kong and (d) The
defence and foreign affairs, the local govern­ church in Hong Kong will be independent of the
ment will be run by Hong Kong citizens. church in the Mainland.
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