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replied that this would not be easy. Public opinion would not
countenance HMG doing business as usual with China at this stage.
Political repression was continuing. Western governments had to
take account of this in considering how to deal with China. But
that HMG/HKG had to deal with China and the best possible
relationship would have to be rebuilt.
9. Mr McLaren continued that China's attitude towards Hong Kong had
also changed since June. China appeared to be genuinely alarmed by
"interference" in Chinese internal affairs by certain Hong Kong
groups and individuals. The sharp reaction to Barry Wiggham's
speech should be seen against this background. The forthcoming JLG
meeting would not be easy; some of the subjects likely to be
discussed had become more intractable.
10. Brigadier Christie said that these points were of great concern
for businessmen in Hong Kong. If the one country two systems
strategy was to work Hong Kong people must show restraint. Mr Lee
added that people were getting back to work. They did not want to
provoke China but they also did not wish China to interfere in Hong
Kong's internal situation. Mr McLaren said that the Chinese were
probably much more concerned about what Hong Kong people did than
what they said.
11.
Brigadier Christie was very concerned about emigration from
Hong Kong. He thought that HKG's statistics were over optimistic and did not accord with the views of managers in the Chamber. Based
on one merchant bank's survey, they felt that the figures were
likely to be 60,000 in 1990 and up to 100,000 each year thereafter. Mr McLaren thought that it was very difficult to be accurate in this
area. He noted that the Hong Kong Government was now doing all that
it could to determine accurate figures. Gut feelings and surveys were unlikely to produce a reliable picture.
Hong
12. Mr Wrangham agreed that accurate statistics were hard to come by but said that the trend was definitely weakening companies.
Kong Bank for example, had lost 20% of its managers in the last
year.
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