It will
Hong ng people and from the Chinese authorities to
demonstrate our determination and ability to do so. The
forthcoming International Conference on Indo-Chinese
refugees should provide a valuable opportunity to make
progress on both repatriation and resettlement.
enable us to emphasise the need for a solution at an
international level, but Hong Kong and the international
community will expect Britain to take a lead in
shouldering its share of the responsibility including
doing more on resettlement. Failure to do so will
seriously damage our credibility in the territory.
EMIGRATION
17. The other key problem of concern to Hong Kong is
emigration. Hong Kong, with its highly mobile
population, has always had a strong tradition of
emigration (just as it has been subject to fluctuation
both legal and illegal - from
flows of immigrants
China). What is new is the increasing number of
qualified professional people who are leaving Hong Kong,
95% of them for Canada, the United States and Australia.
This trend, while manageable at present, is potentially
very serious indeed. The Hong Kong Government are taking
various steps to contain the effects of emigration, such
as stepping up higher education and training so that
qualified people are available to fill the gaps left by
those who go, and measures to make it easier for people
settled abroad to return to Hong Kong with their
families. We are also making clear that Hong Kong people