67)
CONFIDENTIAL
FM WELLINGTON
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 92
OF 160325Z FEBRUARY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 24011
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 4FEB 1990
DESK OFFICER INDEX
150532 MDLIAN 9070
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
- w
INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON, OTTAWA, CANBERRA, TOKYO, EC POSTS INFO ROUTINE OSLO, STOCKHOLM, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK
YOUR TELNO 87 TO WASHINGTON: HONG KONG
SUMMARY
1. REQUEST FOR SUPPORT OVER
ASSOCIATE FOREIGN MINISTER. COMMITTAL.
DETAIL
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
IMMIGRATION GUARANTEES RAISED WITH
REACTION UNDERSTANDING BUT NON-
2. AVAILABILITY OF NEW ZEALAND MINISTERS WAS FURTHER DELAYED
(MY TELNO 27 (NOT TO ALL)) BY THE CABINET RESHUFFLE. BUT I CALLED ON 16 FEBRUARY ON FRAN WILDE WHO NOW HAS CABINET RANK AND ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES WITHIN THENMERT, INCLUDING IMMIGRATION. I REITERATED OUR REQUEST. I SAID THAT WE HAD NOTED THE REPLY AT OFFICIAL LEVEL THAT IT WAS NOT NZ POLICY TO ENOURAGE DEFERRED IMMIGRATION (MY TELNO 537 OF 1989) SEMICOLON THE SAME
WAS GENERALLY TRUE OF BRITISH IMMIGRATION POLICY SEMICOLON BUT IN OUR VIEW THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG, AND ITS GREAT REGIONAL IMPORTANCE, REQUIRED A SPECIAL REACTION. I URGED THAT THE MATTER BE LOOKED AT AGAIN IN THE COURSE OF NEW ZEALAND'S CURRENT IMMIGRATION POLICY REVIEW. I SAID WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR ANY DEFERRED IMMIGRATION ARRANGEMENTS WHICH THE NEW ZEALANDERS COULD OFFER TO ADD TO THOSE THEY HAD PROVIDED FOR HONG KONG EMPLOYEES OF NZI: THE MORE PLACES THEY COULD OFFER THE BETTER, BUT ANYTHING WOULD BE WELCOME.
3. MS WILDE SAID THE IMMIGRATION POLICY REVIEW WAS NEARLY COMPLETE. SHE REPEATED THE GENERAL OBJECTION TO DEFERRED IMMIGRATION BUT AGREED THAT THE CASE OF HONG KONG RAISED OTHER ISSUES AND SAID SHE NOTED MY PLEA. SHE SAID NEW ZEALAND HAD BEEN REASONABLY GENEROUS OVER THE PAOT COUPLE OF YEARS IN ACCEPTING IMMIGRANTS FROM HONG KONG FOR SETTLEMENT. I SAID I WAS AWARE OF THAT, BUT WHAT WE WERE AFTER IN THIS CONTEXT WAS PRECISELY
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CONFIDENTIAL