Page 81 - Preservation for the Documentation of Chinese Christianity

Appendix I 1997 Handover Declaration

July 1, 1997
，
(On June 16, 1997, the Executive Committee o f the Hong Kong Christian Council
unanimously passed the resolution on “The Hong Kong Christian Council’s 1997 Handover
Declaration ", a response to the return of Hong Kong to the People's Republic o f China.)

O n this historic, jo y o u s and solem n occasion can establish a society o f ju stic e and
w hen the P eo p le’s R epublic o f C hina peace, prosperity and stability, and
resum es her sovereignty over H ong K ong contribute to our people and n ation in
and the B ritish colonial rule o f H ong K ong accordance w ith our ability, conscience
com es to an end, the H ong K ong C hristian and faith.
C ouncil m akes the follow ing declaration:
5. W e are determ ined to participate in the
1. W e b elieve that July 1, 1997 is a day social construction o f the H ong K ong
ordained by the Lord, w ho is the R uler Special A dm inistrative R egion, to
o f all nations and the L ord o f H istory. safeguard the legal system , to prom ote
G od both creates and reigns. G od an environm ent free o f corruption, to
holds the past, the present and the future respect the pluralistic social structure
o f H ong K ong. and social expression, and to p rotect the

freedom o f assem bly, press,
2. W e are proud o f regaining our C hinese
com m unication, religious belief, and
identity, w e rejoice in this historic event, academ ic freedom . W e do not only
w e are enthusiastic about becom ing expect that H ong K ong is getting
citizens o f the P eo p le’s R epublic o f m aterially affluent, but w e also hope
C hina, and w e fervently desire to be H ong K ong w ill be rich spiritually and
united w ith our people. m orally. T hus, our society can be a

peaceful, ju st, sharing, and progressive
3. W e support the establishm ent o f the com m unity.
H ong K ong Special A dm inistrative
R egion, a part o f the P eo p le’s R epublic 6. W e consider that the H ong K ong
o f C hina, u nder the im plem entation o f Special A dm inistrative R egion has to be
the p olicies o f “one country, tw o adm inistered in accordance w ith the
system s”， “H ong K ong people rule over spirit o f the S ino-B ritish Joint
H ong K o n g ”， and “the present social, D eclaration and the prom ises o f the
econom ic and legal system s rem ain B asic Law . W e request our Special
unchanged for 50 years” . A dm inistrative R egion governm ent and
the C hinese governm ent to revise the
4. W e resolutely com m it ourselves to B asic L aw from tim e to tim e in
overcom e all obstacles in order that w e
accordance w ith the needs o f the social

81