CODE
18-77
Mr Paul
Paul
Thank you
Ex Mr Boy? (1/1⁄2
References
CALL BY JOURNALIST MARK ROBERTI, 31 JANUARY
1.
CYMAEB/CC
9
HKC 282/1
RECEP
07 FEB 1991
Mr Roberti called on you for one hour for an unattributable background briefing. You explained that you had been Head of HKD since January 1989: you had not been involved with Hong Kong before or during the negotiations. The main topics covered are summarised below.
Basic Law
2. You referred to the discreet and confidential dialogue we had had with the Chinese during the drafting process. They had appreciated this and there had been a number of welcome improvements.
The final version was not immaculate, but on the whole we believed it to be a fair and accurate reflection of the Joint Declaration.
Smooth Transition
3. Mr Roberti dwelt on the question of whether the Chinese were receptive to the idea of a smooth transition in 1997.
that they were: this was one of the principal objectives of the Joint Declaration. The Chinese wanted arrangements which acknowledged the change of sovereignty, but also recognised the need to seek a pragmatic way forward.
Boat People
4.
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Mr Roberti asked for your views on why the Chinese began making public remarks about the boat people problem in 1989. You suggested that this may have been because the problem was becoming increasingly serious and was a matter of great concern in Hong Kong. We had of course been doing everything possible to resolve the problem. China was as a party to the Comprehensive Plan of Action. There was much China could do: many of the Vietnamese boat people were "coast-hoppers" or "bus people", using South China as a staging-post on the way to Hong Kong. We had encouraged the Chinese to take steps to deter this trend, and they had taken action.
Nationality
In
5. You pointed out that, before Tiananmen Square, emigration levels had been increasing, and people in Hong Kong were already preoccupied with the right of abode issue. Hong Kong's emigration figures were largely a function of the availability of places in countries such as the US, Canada and Australia. response to demands from Hong Kong for right of abode for all Hong Kong BDTCS Ministers had produced the best package they could. Their desire to be as generous as possible had had to be balanced against what was politically acceptable in the UK. You outlined the support we were receiving from our international partners. You stressed that it was impossible to predict with any accuracy the effect of the "brain-drain" on Hong Kong in four or five years' time.
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