Hong Kong's outlook

England have

Britain and China have finalised an agreement which will end 50 years of UK rule in Hong Kong.

The proposal - which will hand control of the colony to China in 1997 - creates an "island of capitalism" within a communist state.

In a ceremony at the Great Hall of People in Beijing the document was initialled by the UK ambassador to China, Sir Richard Evans, and the head of the Chinese negotiating team, Zhou Nan.

The British Government has been asked to give its approval to the treaty which ends two years of hard bargaining between the countries.

Under the accord, the Chinese authorities have agreed Hong Kong will maintain a high degree of local autonomy and keep power over its social, economic and legal systems.

But China will gain control of the city's defence and foreign affairs.

The British negotiating team has also persuaded the Chinese to leave the colony untouched for 50 years and provide a plan for its future.

Sir Richard said the joint declaration was "the practical embodiment of the imaginative concept of one country, two systems".

The Governor of the island, Sir Edward Youde, flew straight back from the ceremony to address a special meeting of the Hong Kong Legislative Council about the agreement.

"It constitutes a blueprint for a new stage in Hong Kong's development - as such I commend it to this council and to the community at large," he said. 

Kennedy and Nixon squaring up for their second presidential debate on 7 October 1960

Republican candidate Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John F Kennedy, the Democratic candidate, appeared in a studio in Chicago, Illinois, for the first of a series of four debates.

The first "Great Debate" centred on domestic issues. Each candidate was given eight minutes to make an opening speech. There followed a series of questions from a panel of correspondents, then each man was allowed three minutes and twenty seconds for a final statement.

Among television viewers, Mr Kennedy was regarded the outright winner of the first debate. He appeared tanned, confident and well-rested after campaigning in California.

By contrast, his opponent had recently spent two weeks in hospital for a serious knee operation and still looked underweight with a pallid complexion. He refused any make-up to improve his colour.

The debate was presided over by Howard Smith of CBS News. His company was also the main broadcaster involved.

The panel of questioners included Walter Cronkite of CBS News, John Edwards from ABC News, John Chancellor of NBC News and Frank Singiser of Mutual News.

Mr Kennedy spoke first of his desire to see America fulfil its economic potential and sustain the needs of individuals through welfare programmes.

He continued: "I think it's time America started moving again."

In his opening statement, Mr Nixon also talked about moving ahead but he defended the track record of the Republicans saying they had built more schools, hospitals and roads than the previous Democrat administration.

The questions were wide-ranging - asking the candidates about their relevant experience for the job of president, to farm policy, and the threat from communism within the United States.

The two men disagreed over farm subsidies and how to fund extra spending on education and welfare.

Mr Kennedy said a steady rate of economic growth would bring in sufficient extra tax revenue to pay for his welfare programme.

Mr Nixon claimed it would be necessary to raise taxes to pay for extra education and medical care.

In his summing up, Mr Nixon said: "I stand for programmes that will mean growth and progress. But it is also essential that he (Senator Kennedy) not allow a dollar spent that could be better spent by the people themselves."

Mr Kennedy replied: "The question before us all...is: can freedom in the next generation conquer, or are the Communists going to be successful? That's the great issue. And if we meet our responsibilities I think freedom will conquer."

embodiment: giving concrete form to an abstract concept（體現；具體化）

pallid: lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble（蒼白的）

complexion: the color or hue of the skin, esp. of the face（面色；副膚色）