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facing Hong Kong. There is a new willingness to shout slogans. And anger is readily directed at those who call for more deliberation, or who still counsel evolutionary change and an acceptance of political reality at home and abroad. Both the excitement and the inexperience in dealing with the novel situation in which we find ourselves are understandable in the Hong Kong context, but they should never become the pretext for finding scapegoats. Nor become an excuse to propagate actions that can destroy Hong Kong's own economic interests or political credibility over the longer term. On what else would we build our future as a Special Administrative Region of China? Why not seek advice from other countries how to re-establish people's confidence instead of asking them to engage in policies that could well undermine our commercial existence? Many nations consider the well-being and future autonomy of Hong Kong as an important part of their foreign-policy considerations, but particularly during these days look analytically at how well the people of Hong Kong seem capable of shaping their own destiny.
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agree that a positive response to the current calls for the right of abode in the United Kingdom for Hong Kong British passport holders would go a long way to achieving a return to greater emotional calm in Hong Kong, and would no doubt reduce the strong temptation to emigrate among our best and brightest. I do not accept the argument that the United Kingdom can legislate against the hypothesis that only a few out of the 5 million ultimately entitled might actually settle there. I also caution against under-estimating the domestic political obstacles to an amendment of the British nationality legislation, or the true nature and extent of the opposition thereto throughout the country. We shall not re-create confidence by raising expectations that cannot be met, but only run the risk of generating more local worries as well as considerable anti-British feeling. We could however try the commercial piton and emphasize the positive benefits of immigration, be it to Britain or to other countries There should be plenty of empirical evigence
The British Government must equally be aware that granting selective settlement rights to some Hong Kong people is nothing but a short-term expedient and will readily be seen for what it is: an attempt to wash its hands of the problem The same noids true for the so-called "Lifeboat" solution, a promised international rescue effort to accomodate people from Hong Kong should the worst happen" Too many here are only tog painfully aware now difficult it is to sectie even a few thousand Vietnamese boat people to find much solace in that promise!
Should the door to the United Kingdom remain closed despite all efforts