UNCLASSIFIED
021725
MDLIAN 8140
WOULD NOT PROVOKE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, A NUMBER OF PAPERS
(17.11) REPORTED. HOWEVER, HE WARNED THAT IF IMMIGRATION QUOTAS FOR HK PEOPLE WERE INCREASED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES ON A STEADY AND LONG-TERM BASIS, MORE PEOPLE WOULD LEAVE THE TERRITORY.
6. A VICE-DIRECTOR OF THE HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, LU PING, SAID THAT ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT KNOW HOW THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD HANDLE THE ISSUE OF GRANTING THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE
UK TO HK PEOPLE, BRITAIN MUST ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROV- ISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE MEDIA (18.11) REPORTED. THE REPORTS NOTED THAT ACCORDING TO THE UK MEMORANDUM TO THE JOINT DECLARATION, ALL BDTCS WOULD BE GIVEN A NEW STATUS AFTER 1997. THIS STATUS WOULD NOT GIVE THEM THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK BUT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE TO USE BRITISH PASSPORTS.
7. MR LU DECLINED TO COMMENT ON REMARKS BY THE DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID FORD, THAT THE GRANTING OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK TO HK PEOPLE WOULD NOT PROVOKE CHINA. MR LU SAID THAT THE HK GOVERNMENT HAD NOT CONTACTED THEM ON THE MATTER AND THAT THEREFORE, HE HAD NO IDEA HOW BRITAIN WOULD HANDLE THE ISSUE. ANOTHER VICE DIRECTOR, LI HOU, SAID THAT HE RESERVED THE RIGHT TO COMMENT ON THE ISSUE.
8 =
.
WRITING IN WEN WEI PO (17.11) LEE YU SAID THAT A NATIONALITY PACKAGE FOR ONLY PART OF THE LOCAL POPULATION OR A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF HK PEOPLE WOULD DIVIDE THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, WHICH WOULD BE BAD TO THE STABILITY DURING THE TRANSITION. THE WRITER ALSO SAID THAT AS BRITAIN WOULD GRANT THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK TO TALENTED PEOPLE IN THE TERRITORY, IT MIGHT GIVE RISE TO A MASSIVE BRAIN DRAIN IN EARLY 1997 OR AFTER 1997, WHICH WOULD AFFECT HK'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. THEREFORE, HE SAID THAT PEOPLE SHOULD THINK TWICE ABOUT THE ISSUE OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN BRITAIN FOR HK PEOPLE. (NOTE: PREVIOUSLY, THE CHINESE SIDE DID NOT INDICATE WHETHER THEY WERE AGAINST OR FOR A NATIONALITY PACKAGE ALTHOUGH SOME COLUMNISTS OF PRO-PEKING PAPERS HAD URGED HK PEOPLE TO TAKE OTHER ACTION TO MAINTAIN THE TERRITORY'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, APART FROM FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK.)
A NUMBER OF LOCAL GROUPS AND CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS CALLED ON BRITAIN TO PROVIDE A SAFETY NET FOR HK PEOPLE, THE PAPERS REPORTED.
9.
PAGE 2 UNCLASSIFIED
Page 165Page 166