1
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
HKB301
TO PRIORITY F CO = SEP 1990
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 2620
OF 290945Z AUGUST 90
TOP COPY Q DIST?
BY
63
132612
MDLIAN 6448
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
i
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
HONG KONG AGREEMENT:
SUMMARY
1.
PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP
NEWS RELATING TO THE GULF CRISIS DOMINATED MEDIA COVERAGE DURING THE WEEK AND AS A RESULT, THERE WAS LITTLE REPORTING ON NEWS RELATING TO THE FUTURE..
NATIONALITY
2"
CHINESE OFFICIALS HAD ISSUED A STERN WARNING THAT THE BRITISH PLAN TO OFFER FULL BRITISH PASSPORTS TO 225,000 HK PEOPLE WOULD WORSEN THE TERRITORY'S BRAIN DRAIN AND MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE FUTURE SARG TO ATTRACT TALENTED ADMINISTRATORS, THE SCM POST (26.8) REPORTED, QUOTING AN UN-NAMED SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIAL. THE OFFICIAL TOLD THE PAPER THAT THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE HAD BROUGHT A LOT OF NEGATIVE INFLUENCE TO HK AND THAT THE BRAIN DRAIN WAS MORE SEVERE AFTER THE PACKAGE PASSED THROUGH PARLIAMENT. CHINA WAS WORRIED THAT ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE WERE LEAVING THE TERRITORY EVERY WEEK, TOGETHER WITH A LOT OF CAPITAL AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE. HE ADDED THAT MANY FOREIGN FIRMS IN THE TERRITORY5Y HAD COMPLAINED TO CHINESE OFFICIALS THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND SUITABLE PEOPLE TO FILL VACANCIES LEFT BEHIND BY THE EMIGRANTS.
3.
THE PAPER QUOTED A SENIOR HKG OFFICIAL AS SAYING THAT CHINESE STATEMENTS THAT THE PACKAGE WOULD AGGRAVATE THE BRAIN DRAIN WOULD NOT STAND UP TO SCRUTINY. THE OFFICIAL SAID THAT IT WOULD NOT MAKE IT WORSE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD QUALIFY FOR PASSPORTS WERE ELIGIBLE TO EMIGRATE ANYWAY AND THAT THE CHOICE WAS BETWEEN EMIGRATING SOMEWHERE ELSE AND STAYING HERE WITH A BRITISH PASSPORT. NPC LOCAL DELEGATE LIU YIU-CHU TOLD THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (24.8) THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST PROMPTLY TRAIN UP PERSONNEL FOR ADMINISTERING THE SAR TO COPE WITH THE AFTERMATH
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