1982年9月24日，邓小平会见来访的英国首相撒切尔夫人，阐明了中国政府对香港问题的基本立场，指出主权问题不是一个可以讨论的问题，1997年中国将收回香港。在这个前提下，中英两国磋商解决香港如何过渡得好以及15年后香港怎么办的问题。这标志着中英关于香港问题的谈判拉开序幕。1984年12月19日，中英两国政府经过22轮谈判后，在北京正式签署《中华人民共和国政府和大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国政府关于香港问题的联合声明》，确认中华人民共和国政府于1997年7月1日对香港恢复行使主权。中国政府还在联合声明中阐明以“十二条”为核心内容的对香港的基本方针政策。中英联合声明的签署，标志着香港进入回归祖国前的过渡期。在13年的过渡期内，中国政府坚定不移地遵循“一国两制”方针政策，紧紧依靠香港同胞，坚决排除各种干扰，有条不紊地推进对香港恢复行使主权的各项准备工作。
1985年4月10日，第六届全国人大第三次会议决定成立中华人民共和国香港特别行政区基本法起草委员会，负责起草香港基本法。同年7月起草委员会开始工作，1990年2月完成起草任务，历时四年零八个月。香港基本法的起草过程高度民主、开放，广大香港同胞积极参与起草工作。在起草委员会59名委员中，来自香港各方面的人士有23名。起草委员会还委托香港委员在香港成立由180位各界人士组成的基本法咨询委员会，广泛收集香港社会各界的意见和建议。1988年4月，起草委员会公布香港基本法(草案)征求意见稿；1989年2月，全国人大常委会公布香港基本法(草案)，先后两次在香港和内地广泛征求意见。香港和内地社会各界人士踊跃参与讨论，其中，仅香港人士就提出近8万份意见和建议。香港基本法体现了包括香港同胞在内的全体中国人民的共同意志，凝聚了广大中华儿女的集体智慧。
During his meeting with the visiting British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on September 24, 1982, Deng Xiaoping made clear the Chinese government's position on the question of Hong Kong, pointing out that sovereignty was not a matter for discussion and that China would take back Hong Kong in 1997. It was under this premise that China and Britain would negotiate to ensure the smooth transfer of Hong Kong and clarify what was to be done about Hong Kong 15 years later. This marked the beginning of the negotiations between China and Britain on the question of Hong Kong. On December 19, 1984, after 22 rounds of negotiations, the governments of China and Britain signed the Joint Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the Question of Hong Kong in Beijing, confirming that the government of the PRC would resume its exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong with effect from July 1, 1997. The Chinese government also made clear in the Joint Declaration its basic policies regarding Hong Kong based on the "12 Principles." The signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration marked the entry of Hong Kong into a 13-year transition period before its return to China. During this period, the Chinese government unswervingly followed the "one country, two systems" policy, closely relied on the Hong Kong compatriots, and resolutely held off interference to promote the preparation work for Hong Kong's return.
On April 10, 1985, the Third Session of the Sixth NPC decided to form the Drafting Committee for the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the PRC. In July, the Drafting Committee began its work. It completed its mission in February 1990, taking four years and eight months to develop the Basic Law of Hong Kong. The drafting of the Basic Law of Hong Kong was highly democratic and open, and the compatriots of Hong Kong were widely involved. Twenty-three of the 59 members of the Drafting Committee came from various walks of life in Hong Kong, and the Drafting Committee entrusted its Hong Kong members to set up a 180-member counseling committee in Hong Kong to collect the views and opinions of the people of Hong Kong. In April 1988, the Drafting Committee published the Basic Law of Hong Kong (draft) for comments, and in February 1989 the Standing Committee of the NPC made public the Basic Law of the HKSAR (draft) and twice widely solicited views in Hong Kong and on the mainland. People from all walks of life in Hong Kong and the mainland took active part in the deliberation and discussion of the draft, and in Hong Kong alone nearly 80,000 files of views and comments were collected. The Basic Law of Hong Kong embodies the common will of all Chinese people, including Hong Kong compatriots, and encapsulates the wisdom of the Chinese nation.
上一篇：《“一国两制”在香港特别行政区的实践》白皮书（中英对照）II
下一篇：《中国的对外援助（2014）》白皮书(中英对照）IV
微信公众号搜索“译员”关注我们，每天为您推送翻译理论和技巧，外语学习及翻译招聘信息。