CONFIDENTIAL
55997 - 1
3.
(A)
FIRST HONG KONG TUR.
(B)
(C)
(D)
COMPARISONS WITH BOC (PARA 1). WE AGREE THAT SUGGESTIONS THAT BN (0) IS BOC WITH ANOTHER NAME SHOULD BE COUNTERED. WE THINK THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS IS BY STRESSING THAT
BN(0) IS A SUCCESSOR TO BDTC IN HONG KONG AS A NECESSARY RESULT OF CHANGES TO TAKE PLACE IN 1997. IN OUR VIEW,
THE CAMPAIGN MATERIAL IS ALREADY SUFFICIENTLY STRONG IN
THIS RESPECT AND WE WOULD NOT WANT TO EMPHASISE TOO STRONGLY THE POINT THAT BN(0)S HAVE A RIGHT OF ABODE AND BOCS DO NOT, AS THIS COULD UNDERMINE THE POSITION OF BOCS. BUT WE ARE CONTENT FOR YOU TO CONTINUE TO USE
LOCALLY THE LINE YOU HAVE ALREADY TAKEN.
VAAS (PARA 2). WE FULLY ACCEPT THE IMPORTANCE OF VAAS APPLYING TO BN(0)S. YOU AND WE ARE NOW LOOKING CAREFULLY AT THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DUTCH VAA. BUT FOR THE
PURPOSES OF THIS EXERCISE WE WOULD PREFER TO RETAIN GENERAL REFERENCES TO QUOTE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS UNQUOTE. WE THINK THAT TO BE TOO SPECIFIC
COULD DISTRACT ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE OVERALL THRUST OF THE MESSAGE (AND THERE ARE, AFTER ALL, ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF VAAS WHICH CURRENTLY APPLY TO HONG KONG). WE
HAVE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR CONTINUING TO REFER
SPECIFICALLY TO VAAS IN YOUR CONTACTS WITH CONSULS
GENERAL.
TIMING (PARAS 3 AND 4). WE AGREE THAT SEPTEMBER IS ABOUT RIGHT.. WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS LAUNCHING THE CAMPAIGN IN THE SECOND HALF OF THAT MONTH. WE PLAN TO CLEAR THE
MATERIAL WITH MINISTERS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH.
IN PRINCIPLE WE FAVOUR A REMINDING EXERCISE NEXT MAY OR JUNE. WE SUGGEST THAT WE SEE HOW THE MAIN CAMPAIGN GOES
BEFORE WE CONSIDER IT FURTHER.
SPECIAL TARGETTING (PARAS 5-7).
(I)
CANADA. WE REGRET THAT PARA 5 OF OUR TELNO 1048
WAS MISLEADING. THE FACT IS THAT AMENDMENT OF THE
CANADIAN IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE WILL BE NECESSARY TO ACCOMMODATE BN(0)S IN THE SAME WAY THAT BDTCS ARE
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CONFIDENTIAL