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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release May 2, 1997

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

Legal Cooperation with Hong Kong

The President today is transmitting to the United States Senate for its advice and consent to ratification two agreements recently reached with the Government of Hong Kong on maintaining our ongoing cooperation on law enforcement matters. They are an agreement for the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and an Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. Added to an earlier transmitted Agreement for the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders, we are establishing a firm legal foundation for continuing cooperation with the Hong Kong Government on law enforcement issues after its transition to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997. The agreements have the explicit approval of the Government of the People's Republic of China through the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group.

We hope the Senate will approve these agreements in an expeditious fashion so that there will be no gap in our law enforcement cooperation after July 1.

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