The British had a poor record of retreating from colonies. There are more than ten years of transition period before our resumption of sovereignty. Will the British be irresponsible and "mess up" Hong Kong like comrade Deng Xiaoping said? We should be on guard. This is our major consideration for setting up the Joint Liaison Group. Surely, it will be beneficial for both countries, as other things may need to be settled by the two sides.

In a meeting with Xu Jiatun

Xu Jiatun, Xu Jiatun Xianggang Huiyilu , Vol. I, p. 113

Hu Yaobang Quotes

The British had a poor record of retreating from colonies. There are more than ten years of transition period before our resumption of sovereignty....

The British had a poor record of retreating from colonies. There are more than ten years of transition period before our resumption of sovereignty....

The British had a poor record of retreating from colonies. There are more than ten years of transition period before our resumption of sovereignty....

The British had a poor record of retreating from colonies. There are more than ten years of transition period before our resumption of sovereignty....