EMIGRATION
CONFIDENTIAL
7031
MDHIA,
72י
16. THE OUTFLOW OF PROFESSIONALLY-QUALIFIED PEOPLE CONTINUES UNABATED. ABOUT 62,000 PEOPLE WILL LEAVE DURING 1991 (APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AS THE 1990 FIGURE). WE EXPECT EMIGRATION TO REMAIN AT THESE HIGH LEVELS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. THE OUTFLOW IS NO LONGER IN THE FOREFRONT OF THE COMMUNITY'S THINKING (THOUGH STILL OF CONSIDERABLE MEDIA INTEREST). THE BUSINESS WORLD SEEMS NOW TO HAVE ADJUSTED TO THE SITUATION AND TO HAVE IN PLACE ARRANGEMENTS TO IMPORT STAFF AT THE EXECUTIVE AND PROFESSIONAL LEVELS TO REPLACE LOSSES CAUSED BY MIGRATION.
THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME
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17 A TOTAL OF 68,000 APPLICATIONS WAS RECEIVED FOR A FIRST TRANCHE OF PLACES IN THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME. ABOUT 300,000 SETS OF FORMS WERE ISSUED. THE LOWER THAN EXPECTED APPLICATION RATE HAS LED SOME COMMENTATORS TO TALK OF THE SCHEME HAVING FAILED, WHILE OTHERS HAVE TAKEN THE CONTRARY VIEW THAT IF OFFERS EVIDENCE OF REVIVING CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE. THE REALITY IS THAT THE PRAGMATIC HONG KONG PUBLIC CALCULATED THEIR CHANCES AND TOOK THEIR DECISIONS ACCORDINGLY. POTENTIAL APPLICANTS WITH WEAK CASES SCREENED THEMSELVES OUT AND DECIDED NOT TO SEND IN THEIR FORMS.
PERCEPTIONS OF BRITAIN
18. BRITAIN'S PROMINENT ROLE IN THE UN ALLIANCE TO EXPEL THE IRAQI MILITARY FROM KUWAIT HAS BEEN WELL SUPPORTED IN HONG KONG. THE UK IS SEEN AS HAVING ENHANCED ITS INTERNATIONAL PRESTIGE AND AS BEING IN A STRONGER POSITION IN ITS DEALINGS WITH THE PRC. IN ADDITION, THE COMMUNITY HAS WELCOMED WHAT IT PERCEIVES AS HMG'S FIRM SUPPORT FOR A DETERMINED STAND BY HKG ON THE TERRITORY'S AUTONOMY IN THE FACE OF RECENT CPG PRESSURE.
19. AGAINST THIS HAS TO BE A SET A CONTINUING GENERAL SCEPTICISM ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE ASSURANCES CONTAINED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION. THE PUBLIC SEES A SLOW BUT INEXORABLE MARGINALISATION OF THE UK AS THE TRANSITION PROCEEDS AND THE UK'S ECONOMIC PRESENCE IN THE TERRITORY IS ECLIPSED BY THAT OF JAPAN, THE USA AND CHINA. THE DECISION IN FEBRUARY BY THE HONGKONG BANK TO TRANSFER ITS PLACE OF DOMICILE FROM HONG KONG TO LONDON, AND THE MORE RECENT DECISION BY JARDINES TO SWITCH ITS PRIMARY STOCK EXCHANGE LISTING FROM HONG KONG TO LONDON, ARE SEEN AS FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THIS TREND.
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