The
ers of the letter suggest that the Chinese auth will treat any Hong Kong Chinese with a British passport with hostility. There is no evidence for this: moreover the Chinese Nationality Law does provide for ethnic Chinese to zenounce their Chinese nationality in certain circumstances. The presumption that beneficiaries of our scheme might be treated with hostility after 1977 cannot be squared with the provisions of the Joint Declaration, which state that British and other foreign nationals may continue to serve in. or be recruited to, all but a small sumber of top posts in the future Hong Kong SAR Government.
I do not follow the logic of the assertion in the letter that the Hong Kong Bill will reinforce uncertainty about the future after 1997. It is a fact of life that, following the events in China last June, confidence in Hong Kong is at a low abb. Our scheme is designed to tackle that problem. Far from undermining confidence, it will bolster it. We are mot signalling our lack of confidence in the Joint Declaration; the contrary we are faithfully implementing its provisions.
CA
I do not believe that the scheme will create bitterness and anxiety in the territory. The selection criteria will be as objective as possible, in order to ensure that people in Hong Kong will see it as a merit based scheme and not one based on wealth or influence. To the extent that it contributes to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong, it should benefit the community as a whole, improving confidence and thereby easing the emigration problem.
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It is also in qux interest to keep Hong Kong prosperous. jobs in this country depend upon it. Britain's total trade with the territory amounts to over £4 billion a year. investments there including equity investment, banking interests and so on amount to many billions of pounds 3 massive stake by any measure. About 1,000 British companies operate in Hong Kong. So there is no contradiction between the interests of the British people and those of The Queen's subjects in Hong Kong. A collapse in Hong Kong would be a bad blow to us all
I agree with the writers of the letter that the key to maintaining confidence in Hong Kong is the active co-operation of the Chinese. Our handling of our recent decision about Hong Kong's future political development recognises this fact. As far as the Bill is concerned, we have taken pains to explain to the Chinese out reasons for introducing it, and I
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