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15. THE COUNCIL NOTED THAT, AFTER THE VERY HEATED DEBATE ON THE GREEN AND WHITE PAPERS, THERE HAD BEEN SUPRISINGLY LITTLE DISCUSSION ON THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE PROVISIONS IN THE DRAFT BASIC
LAW.
THESE MIGHT HOWEVER BE FURTHER DISCUSSED WHEN, UNDER THE BLCC'S TIMETABLE THIS MATTER WAS BROUGHT FORWARD FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION IN LATE JULY OR EARLY AUGUST. HOWEVER, MEMBERS BELIEVED THAT THE STEAM WAS NOW RUNNING OUT OF THIS ISSUE AND THAT A SENSE OF REALITY
WAS SETTING IN.
16.
MEMBERS CONTRASTED THE DIFFICULTY AND COST OF OBTAINING AN ENTRY CERTIFICATE FOR ENTERING THE UK WITH THE EASE OF OBTAINING AN AMERICAN VISA, WHICH WAS ALSO ISSUED FREE OF CHARGE. THEY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT VERY FEW OF THE 30,000-40,000 HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO VISITED THE UK EACH YEAR WENT TO GROUND OR OTHERWISE CAUSED TROUBLE. ON THE BASIS OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, MEMBERS SAID THAT THEY HAD THE STRONG IMPRESSION THAT THE IMMIGRATION OFFICERS AT PORTS OF ENTRY IN THE UK WERE NOW BEING MUCH MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT ADMITTING HONG KONG VISITORS. THEY REFERRED TO REPORTS THAT HONG KONG TOUR OPERATORS NOW PUT THE UK AS THE LAST POINT OF CALL ON EUROPEAN TOURS FOR FEAR THAT TROUBLE WITH IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES WOULD SPOIL THE PROGRAMME. MEMBERS SAID THAT THERE WAS A PERCEPTION THAT THESE MATTERS WERE SYMPTOMATIC OF A DESIRE BY THE UK TO DISTANCE
ITSELF FROM HONG KONG.
HE
17. LORD GLENARTHURE SAID THAT RECENT INCIDENTS AT DOVER AND LONDON WERE BEING ANALYSED. IN A PERFECT WORLD SUCH INCIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. WE HAD TO ACCEPT, HOWEVER, THAT IN THE REAL WORLD THEY COULD SOMETIMES HAPPEN. HE UNDERTOOK TO LOOK INTO THE COMPARATIVE COST AND DIFFICULTY OF OBTAINING A BRITISH CERTIFICATE OF ENTRY. SAID THAT HONG KONG'S CONCERNS HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN UP WITH THE HOME OFFICE: THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF SIMPLIFYING ENTRY PROCEDURES. HE TOOK THE POINT ABOUT PERCEPTIONS IN HONG KONG. BUT EVERY TERRITORY, INCLUDING HONG KONG ITSELF, HAD TO IMPOSE STRICT CONTROLS AT PORTS OF ENTRY BECAISE THERE WERE ALWAYS PEOPLE WHO WOULD TRY TO BUCK THE SYSTEM. HE WOULD TRY TO OBTAIN THE STATISTICS OF THE PROPORTION OF HONG KONG TRAVELLERS WHO CAUSED TROUBLE. HE RECOGNIZED THAT VERY FEW DID. MEMBERS SUGGESTED THAT THE UK IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES MIGHT NOT REALISE HOW FREQUENTLY HONG KONG PEOPLE, INCLUDING THOSE WHO WERE NOT WEALTHY, NOW TRAVELLED ABROAD.
18.
MEMBERS SAID THAT EMIGRATION REMAINED A REAL PROBLEM AND THAT THE NUMBERS RETURNING TO HONG KONG AFTER OBTAINING THEIR FOREIGN RESIDENCE WERE TOO SMALL FOR COMFORT. LORD GLENARTHUR SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN EVRY IMPRESSED, DURING HIS VISIT TO BEIJING, BY THE
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