-4-
If we had offered no assurances on nationality, we would certainly have damaged this country's economic interests. We should also have made more likely a major challenge to our policy of
restricting immigration. If confidence within Hong Kong were to collapse completely, then we could expect very large numbers of people to arrive at our airports seeking admission as refugees. numbers involved might make the 50,000 families included in the
Government's scheme look small.
The
It would
Faced with such a situation, the British Government would naturally try to coordinate an international response to the problem, but we can be certain that other countries would expect us, as the former colonial power, to accept the lion's share. be far preferable to avoid such an outcome by doing everything in our power to maintain the prosperity and confidence of Hong Kong during the remaining years of British administration.
Эспу'сь брий
laws
ردو نکا
DOUGLAS HURD
Secretary of State for
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
DAVID WADDINGTON
Secretary of State for the Home Office