PAGE TWO PNR4092 UNCLAS
CONFIDENCE IN HKONG'S FUTURE, HOWEVER, CAN ONLY BE RESOLVED BY
THE UK AND CHINA WHILE THE SUCCESS OF POST-1997 HKONG WILL REST
TO A LARGE MEASURE WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.
2.THE CDN GOVT WELCOMES BRITISH EFFORTS TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE IN
THE FUTURE OF HKONG THROUGH THE OFFER OF A RIGHT-OF-ABODE
PACKAGE. IT IS HOPED THAT THIS PACKAGE WILL ENCOURAGE PEOPLE,
WHOSE TALENTS ARE REQUIRED IN THE TERRITORY, TO REMAIN IN HKONG
UP TO AND EVEN BEYOND 1997 WHEN IT BECOMES A SPECIAL
ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PRC. CDA CONSIDERS THAT A MASSIVE
EXODUS OF THE HKONG POPULACE WOULD BE COUNTER PRODUCTIVE TO
REBUILDING CONFIDENCE.
3.WHILE CDA IS SUPPORTIVE OF BRITISH EFFORTS, CDA DOES NOT/NOT
HAVE A RIGHT-OF-ABODE PROGRAM. THERE EXIST AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES
FOR RESIDENTS OF HKONG TO QUALITY UNDER CDA'S FLEXIBLE, UNIVERSAL
AND NON-DISCRIMINATORY IMMIG PROGRAM.
4.NØ MAJOR CHANGES ARE ANTICIPATED TO THE EXISTING IMMIG PROGRAM
FROM HKONG, WHICH ALREADY HAS THE LARGEST CDN IMMIG OFFICE IN THE
WORLD. IN 1988, ALMOST HALF OF ALL HKONG EMIGRANTS CHOSE CANADA
OVER OTHER DESTINATIONS. THE 23,000 IMMIGRANTS MADE THE TERRITORY
CDA'S LARGEST SINGLE SOURCE OF IMMIGRANTS, ACCOUNTING FOR 14% OF
TOTAL IMMIG TO CDA IN 1988. THIS TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE.
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