CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 30
OF 30090OZ JANUARY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
(47)
NATIONALITY PACKAGE
063724
MDLIAN 4120
TO
HID 4074!
эко
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
10 APR 1990
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
YOUR TELNO 11:
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE QUICK RESPONSE AND ITS HELPFUL FURTHER GUIDANCE.
1
·
2.
AT RISK OF LABOURING THE POINT, I APPRECIATE THAT ONE OF THE CATEGORIES IN THE POINTS SCHEME IS LIKELY TO BE CONNECTIONS WITH BRITAIN. I MAY BE WAY OFF BEAM, AND I HAVE NOT BEEN PARTY TO ANY OF THE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS SINCE THE LAST VISIT OF HARRINGTON AND PAGE OF THE HOME OFFICE, BUT I SOMEWHAT ASSUME THAT SUCH A CATEGORY AS ADMINISTERED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL MOSTLY CONCENTRATE ON E.G. FREQUENCY OF VISITS TO THE UK, PROPERTY IN THE UK, FAMILY IN THE UK, EDUCATION OF SUBJECT OR OF HIS/HER CHILDREN IN THE UK ETC ETC. THESE ARE RELATIVELY EASY TO DEFINE AND TO MEASURE. MORE DIFFICULT TO DEFINE, I SUGGEST, ARE THOSE WHO HAVE BENEFITED THE UK IN A MAJOR WAY, BUT WHO MAY NOT SCORE MANY POINTS FROM PROPERTY OR VISITS OR EDUCATION ETC. MY TELNO 25 QUOTED THE EXAMPLE OF TWO INDUSTRIALISTS HERE, ONE OF WHOM HAS ENDOWED TWO FELLOWSHIPS AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY AND THE OTHER WHO HAS MADE A VERY LARGE DONATION TO THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM. SINCE THEN A PARTNER OF ONE OF THESE HAS JUST GIVEN HONG KONG DOLLARS 10 MILLION TO A BRADFORD TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOR HIGH TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT.
3.
CLEARLY WE WOULD NOT WISH TO GET INTO AN AUCTION SITUATION. NOR TO GIVE ANY PUBLICITY TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT SUCH DONATIONS MIGHT COUNT. NEVERTHELESS I HOPE THAT IN THE SCHEME AS IT EVOLVES THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR AN INPUT WHICH WOULD BE BRITISH RATHER THAN HONG KONG IN ORIENTATION, AND PERHAPS FROM THIS OFFICE, TO ENSURE THAT SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE MADE SUBSTANTIAL PERSONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE UK, EVEN IF THEIR OVERALL ASSOCIATION WITH THE UK IS NOT THAT CLOSE. IT FOLLOWS OF COURSE THAT IN ALMOST EVERY SUCH CASE SHOULD THE PERSON CONCERNED BE GRANTED A BRITISH PASSPORT AND LATER DECIDE TO SETTLE IN THE UK, THEY WOULD BRING WITH THEM VERY CONSIDERABLE WEALTH, BUSINESS EXPERIENCE AND ACUMEN, AND PROBABLY BUSINESS INVESTMENT.
HEAP
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CONFIDENTIAL
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