From the Secretary of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
23 February 1990
Dear Robert.
Thank you for your letter of 8 January about the nationality
package for Hong Kong. You will by now have received a letter of
9 February from David Waddington and me.
You suggest that the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong are
likely to be undermined rather than sustained by our policy. The
fact is that the stability and prosperity of the territory are
already under severe threat because of the growing exodus of people
who are vital to Hong Kong's economy. This is not a steady
migration, but a trend which has increased sharply over the last few
years. It will undoubtedly continue unless we take steps to restore confidence among these key people.
It is true that the Chinese Government are committed to the
Joint Declaration for practical, political and economic reasons; China has a huge stake in the continuing success of Hong Kong. This is why we must do everything we can to help to maintain that
success.
I do not accept what you say about the motives of those in
Hong Kong who have led the passport campaign, nor that political
figures in Hong Kong have failed to grasp the realities of Hong Kong's situation. We have worked closely with the Executive Council
Robert Adley Esq MP
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