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Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
24 July 1991
Mr R P Flower
British Embassy The Hague
HKD 021
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021/4
8 AUG 1991
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London SWIA 2AH
Telephone: 071-
Dear Rohave,
HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
1. Many thanks for your letter of 4 July to Nigel Cox. agree that this is good news, and are grateful for the Embassy's efforts in bringing the Dutch as far as this.
We
2. We understand that, under Dutch law, indefinite renewal of residence should lead to settled status after 4 years, after which Dutch citizenship can be applied for. We assume that this scheme will enable Hong Kong people to achieve citizenship in this way (ie that there is no barrier built into this scheme). It will in any case prove very useful to Dutch companies in Hong Kong who wish to second staff temporarily to headquarters.
To
3. As you said to Van Tooren, the scheme would have particular value as a public gesture of support for Hong Kong by Holland, but for this we would need to publicise it. be able to add yet another EC partner to our roster of countries prepared to make special arrangements for Hong Kong would be a welcome piece of news, and would be helpful generally in the confidence battle. We hope Van Tooren will be prepared to reconsider going public in due course (you might suggest to him, if you see benefit, that while we appreciate the domestic sensitivities in Holland, Dutch companies in Hong Kong would probably find an announcement extremely helpful to their local reputation/recruitment).
Yous ever, John
J C Morris
Hong Kong Department
cc: Mr P Clark, Peking
LAST PAPER
Mr S Bradley, Political Advisers Office, Hong Kong
KIPAGH
TG
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