At the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Wenjin conveyed Deng's views that if they did not take back Hong Kong, they would not be able to face their ancestors, the billion people in China, their descendants, and the people in the third world. Once Zhang had communicated Deng's views, the issue was resolved, for no one dared to suggest that China would consider allowing Britain to administer Hong Kong after the lease on the New Territories ran out.
