UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3368
OF 11070OZ OCTOBER 89
HKB
UNCLASSIFIED
011
15
76
043137
MDHIAN 9288
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
MY LEGCO ADDRESS: RELATIONS WITH THE UK
THE FOLLOWING IS THE EXTRACT FROM MY SPEECH TO LEGCO AT 2.30PM HK
TIME TODAY
BEGINS
(C) RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM
13. ANOTHER FEATURE OF THE PAST YEAR HAS BEEN THE EVOLUTION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM. CONTRARY TO SOME POPULAR MYTHS, THIS GOVERNMENT HAS FOR MANY YEARS BEEN LEFT ESSENTIALLY FREE TO GET ON WITH THE JOB OF RUNNING HONG KONG BY ITSELF. WE HAVE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR INTERNAL AFFAIRS, SUCH AS EDUCATION, SOCIAL WELFARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES. FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS OR SO, WE HAVE MADE ALL OUR OWN POLICY DECISIONS ON OTHER IMPORTANT AREAS SUCH AS THE ECONOMY, TRADE AND FINANCE.
14. AS A RESULT, WE HAVE DEVELOPED SOME INTERESTS WHICH ARE SEPARATE FROM THOSE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. SOMETIMES WE HAVE FOUND OURSELVES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. IN THE PAST YEAR OR TWO, FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE HAD TO NEGOTIATE ABOUT THE RELATIVE SHARES OF COSTS INCURRED BY THE BRITISH GARRISON IN HONG KONG AND WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE PART THE UNITED KINGDOM PLAYS IN RESETTLING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT YOUR GOVERNMENT ARGUES HARD ON HONG KONG'S BEHALF.
15. WE HAVE ALSO PUT FORWARD A CLEAR HONG KONG CASE ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUE. I HAVE SAID THAT I FULLY UNDERSTAND AND SYMPATHISE WITH THE WIDESPREAD HOPE IN HONG KONG THAT BRITAIN WOULD GRANT THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM TO ALL HONG KONG BRITISH NATIONALS. I HAVE ALSO SAID THAT, IN MY VIEW, SUCH A MOVE, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE WOULD HAVE A VERY POSITIVE EFFECT ON CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG, AND THAT THE NUMBER WHO WOULD ACTUALLY LEAVE WOULD BE SMALL.
16. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS SAID THAT IT DOES NOT BELIEVE IT IS
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