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I.
EMIGRATION FROM HONG KONG
We and the Hong Kong Government are watching trends carefully.
It is clear that emigration trends are up. It seems that an
increasing number of those leaving are from the professional and
middle management area.
There are a number of reasons for the increase in emigration.
Hong Kong people are traditionally very mobile. Concern about the future is no doubt a factor influencing people's decisions, but it
is by no means the only one. There has also been a marked increase
in opportunities for emigration for some leading recipient
countries, particularly Canada and Australia.
The Hong Kong Government have made it clear that they have no intention of stopping people leaving. Their efforts, and ours, will
continue to be concentrated on making Hong Kong an attractive place
to live in, and a place to which those who have left would want to
return. We welcome the recent decision by the Hong Kong Government
to set up a task force to look into the reasons for emigration and
to consider practical measures to counter its effects.
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