CONFIDENTIAL
FM PARIS
TO PRIORITY F.C.0
TELNO 346
OF 222009Z MARCH 90
CONFIDENTIAL
HCD 340/1
ко
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
27 MAR 1990
124
114133
MDLIAN 8745
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, SINGAPORE, WASHINGTON
INFO SAVING OTTAWA, BONN, LUXMBOURG, THE HAGUE, ROME
YOUR TELNO.605 TO HONG KONG : INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
SUMMARY
1. QUAI AGREE THAT WE MAY SAY IN PUBLIC THAT FRANCE IS ONE OF THE COUNTRIES TAKING MEASURES TO REASSURE ESSENTIAL STAFF WORKING IN
HONG KONG.
2. PRESIDENT OF FRENCH POLYNESIAN ASSEMBLY CANCELS VISIT TO HONG KONG BECAUSE OF ALLEGED HOSTILE PRESS CAMPAIGN THERE. QUAI RELAXED
ABOUT OUR DECISION TO BAR GODDESS OF DEMOCRACY FROM HONG KONG.
DETAIL
3. WE TOOK ACTION ON TUR WITH BOUFFANDEAU, THE DEPUTY HEAD OF THE QUAI'S FRANCAIS A L'ETRANGER DIRECTION WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE FRENCH NATURALISATION / LAISSEZ PASSER SCHEME. WE EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS PUBLIC AND PARLIAMENTARY INTEREST NOT ONLY IN HMG'S PASSPORT SCHEME BUT ALSO IN MEASURES BY OTHER COUNTRIES. WE HAD NO WISH TO CAUSE FRANCE EMBARRASSMENT WITH THE CHINESE BUT SINCE THE LATTER WERE ALREADY AWARE OF FRENCH PLANS, COULD WE NOT GO BEYOND THE RATHER RETRICTIVE LINE PROPOSED BY LACOMBE (MY TELNO.248) ? BOUFFANDEAU STRESSED THAT WE SHOULD NOT GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE HAD PERSUADED THE FRENCH TO INTRODUCE THEIR SCHEME. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DETAILS WERE FOR THE FRENCH TO ANSWER. BUT HE AGREED THAT, IN REFERRING TO OUR OWN DECISION TO PROVIDE SOME 225,000 PASSPORTS, WE MIGHT SAY THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THAT SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES SUCH AS SINGAPORE, FRANCE ETC WERE TAKING MEASURES TO REASSURE ESSENTIAL STAFF WORKING FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES IN HONG KONG. THE MINISTER SUBSEQUENTY DOUBLE-CHECKED THIS FORMULATION WITH MARTIN, THE QUAI ASIA DIRECTOR, WHO ACCEPTED
IT.
4.
MARTIN ADDED THAT A RIPPLE HAD BEEN CAUSED IN FRENCH POLYNESIA BY WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A HOSTILE PRESS CAMPAIGN IN HONG KONG ABOUT THE PLANNED VISIT OF LEONTIEFF, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH POLYNESIAN ASSEMBLY.
LEONTIEFF HAD WANTED TO INCLUDE HONG KONG IN
A WIDER TOUR OF ASIA DESIGNED TO ATTRACT FOREIGN CAPITAL TO FRENCH
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CONFIDENTIAL