RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1181
OF 05100OZ APRIL 90
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
Ако
34014
RECEIVED IN: EGISTRY
0 1 JUN 1990
DESK OFFICER GOVERNMENTEOFFICEPALONDON
157557
MDHIAN 7423
(316)
(316)
UK NATIONALITY SCHEME: FIRST PUBLIC RESPONSE TO ANNOUNCEMENT
SUMMARY
1. BLANKET MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE PUBLICATION OF BILL, ECLIPSING THAT ON THE PROMULGATION OF THE BASIC LAW. INTENSE INTEREST IN THE SCHEME AMONG BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS. FIRST REACTION GUARDED. CRITICISMS WERE THE WELL-TRODDEN ONES RELATING TO LIMITED NUMBERS OFFERED, DIVISIVENESS, AND INABILITY TO SECURE CHINESE SUPPORT. WARM WELCOME BY BUSINESSMEN AND SOME PROFESSIONALS. OMELCO AND CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS URGED EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHEME. THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS ON DETAILS OF SCHEME LIKELY TO SURFACE BEFORE LONG.
DETAIL
2. THERE WAS BLANKET COVERAGE OF THE MIDNIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY DONALD TSANG ON THE PUBLICATION OF THE BILL BY THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA. THE CONFERENCE WAS BROADCAST LIVE ON ALL ENGLISH AND CHINESE TV CHANNELS. PRESS REPORTS THIS MORNING (5 APRIL) ON REACTIONS HERE AND IN LONDON WERE EXTENSIVE, ECLIPSING THOSE ON THE PROMULGATION OF THE BASIC LAW IN THE NEUTRAL AND ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS. SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS PRINTED THE BILL AND EXPLANATORY NOTE IN FULL. REACTIONS IN THE UK ALSO RECEIVED PROMINENT COVERAGE.
3. THE QUOTED REACTION OF MOST LOCAL INTEREST GROUPS WAS THAT THE PROPOSALS, NUMERICALLY, DID NOT ADEQUATELY PROVIDE FOR THEIR MEMBERS. THE OFFICIAL HONG KONG GOVERNMENT STATEMENT, OMELCO SPOKESMEN AND HONOUR HONG KONG ALL SAID THAT THE BILL WOULD GO SOME WAY TOWARDS ALLEVIATING HONG KONG'S EMIGRATION PROBLEM AND IMPROVING CONFIDENCE. ACCOUNTANTS AND BUSINESSMEN, INCLUDING SIMON MURRAY, WERE THE MOST POSITIVE.
4. NO LOCAL GROUPS OPPOSED THE BILL. BUT APART FROM CONCERN OVER ITS NUMERICAL SCOPE, THERE WAS CRITICISM THAT THE SCHEME WAS DIVISIVE IN TERMS OF AGE SELECTION AND AS BETWEEN GRADES IN SOME OCCUPATIONS. THERE WAS INSIGNIFICANT CRITICISM THAT THE BILL WAS
1
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