CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 101300Z FCO TELNO 851
OF 10113OZ MARCH 89
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 011/3
TOP COPY O DIST ?
1146-150
152
023020
MDHIAN 6241
YOUR TELNOS 620-624: FAC
1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUICK AND HELPFUL COMMENTS ON THE 4 DRAFT PAPERS SENT BY FACSIMILE. REVISED DRAFTS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO YOU, INCORPORATING ALL YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING:
(A) SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT (YOUR TELNO 621)
(I) THE POINT IN YOUR SUB-PARA (G) IS TAKEN. BUT I WOULD
LIKE TO BE ABLE TO STATE THAT IN PRACTICE HONG KONG HAS EFFECTIVE AUTONOMY IN CERTAIN ASPECTS OF ITS EXTERNAL AFFAIRS. THE SECOND SENTENCE OF PARA 5 HAS BEEN AMENDED ON THESE LINES.
(II) YOU DO NOT SAY (SUB PARA (J)) WHY YOU THINK THE THIRD SENTENCE OF PARA 6 SHOULD BE DELETED. I WOULD LIKE TO RETAIN IT. IT ENCAPSULATES ONE OF THE MAIN THEMES OF THE PAPER, I.E. THAT NEITHER HMG NOR THE GOVERNOR EXERCISE IN PRACTICE THE EXTENSIVE POWERS GRANTED TO THEM IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL DOCUMENTS.
(B) VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE (YOUR TELNO 622)
(I) THE REVISION SUGGESTED IN YOUR PARA 3 SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGES THE SENSE OF THE ORIGINAL. WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE TWO POINTS: THAT THE RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES WERE BEING SELECTIVE IN THEIR OFFTAKE, CONTRARY TO THEIR COMMITMENT AT THE 1979 CONFERENCE, AND THAT THE TYPE OF PEOPLE ARRIVING IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN CHANGING. I ACCEPT THAT THE PREVIOUS DRAFT DID NOT BRING THESE OUT CLEARLY ENOUGH. PARA 4 HAS BEEN EXPANDED IN AN EFFORT TO DO THIS.
(II) THE TERM 'FIRST ASYLUM' IS ONE THAT IS LIKELY TO BE USED FREQUENTLY DURING THE FAC VISIT TO HONG KONG, AND PROBABLY IN THE EVIDENCE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND I GIVE BEFORE THAT. SO THEY WILL NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT MEANS. THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM IS SURELY TO EXPLAIN IT WHEN IT IS FIRST USED.
(C) EMIGRATION (YOUR TELNO 624)
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