RESTRICTED
FM STOCKHOLM
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 5
OF 03152OZ JANUARY 90
RESTRICTED
HKCD 340/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 4 FEB 1990
DESK OFFICER INDEX
162547
MDLIAN 7737
GISTRY
Taken
AND TO PRIORITY HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG OSLO WASHINGTON INFO SAVING OTTAWA, TOKYO, CANBERRA, WELLINGTON, KUALA LUMPUR INFO SAVING BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, EC POSTS
(1784) 84 нко 340/8.
YOUR TELNO 2365 TO WASHINGTON: HONG KONG : INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
SUMMARY
1. GENERALLY CONSTRUCTIVE SWEDISH RESPONSE. BUT THE NUMBERS THEY ARE LOOKING AT ARE SMALL, AND THEY HAVE YET TO RESOLVE THEIR PROCEDURAL DIFFICULTIES.
DETAIL
2. POLITICAL COUNSELLOR CALLED ON MISS HECKSHER (AUS, ASIA) WHO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY ANDERSON (LEGAL ADVISER). THEY HAD ALREADY STUDIED THE TEXT OF YOUR STATEMENT, WHICH WE HAD SENT IN ADVANCE (MY TELNO 544). ANDERSON SAID THE SWEDES HAD BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME, IN THE CONTEXT OF RETAINING KEY PEOPLE IN SWEDISH COMPANIES IN HONG KONG. THEY HAD DISCUSSED THE MATTER LAST SUMMER WITH THE SWEDISH CONSUL GENERAL TO HONG KONG. THE DIFFICULTY WAS THAT SWEDISH LAW DOES NOT ALLOW ANY EASY SOLUTIONS. SWEDEN CANNOT OFFER CITIZENSHIP UNLESS THE APPLICANT IS RESIDING IN SWEDEN. NEVERTHELESS THE MFA WERE IN DISCUSSION WITH THE IMMIGRATION BOARD AND MINISTRY OF LABOUR TO SEE WHAT ALTERNATIVES WERE AVAILABLE. MIS S HECKSHER COMMENTED THAT ANY ARRANGEMENT FALLING SHORT OF CITIZENSHIP SEEMED UNLIKELY TO SATISFY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG SWEDEN WAS VERY RELUCTANT TO CONTEMPLATE CHANGING
TS LAWS SOLELY FOR HONG KONG, A DEBATE IN THE SWEDISH PARLIAMENT COULD NOT BE CONFINED TO HONG KONG ALONE.
»
3. IN ANSWER TO A QUESTION, ANDERSON SAID THAT THE SWEDES WERE CONSIDERING ABOUT 100 KEY PERSONNEL (AROUND 400 WITH DEPENDENTS). HE ASKED WHETHER THE BRITISH SCHEME WOULD APPLY ONLY TO EMPLOYEES OF BRITISH COMPANIES. BOYCE SAID HE ASSUMED THAT OUR SCHEME WOULD BE DIRECTED AT PEOPLE WHO BENEFITTED THE HONG KONG ECONOMY IN GENERAL AND WOULD NOT BE CONFINED TO EMPLOYEES OF BRITISH COMPANIES. GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THIS IS CORRECT.
COMMENT
1
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