CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 052200Z CANBERRA
TELNO 162
OF 05170OZ MARCH 91
HAD 340/4
V
TOP COPY
Q DIST ?/
(92
130071 MDHOAN 9195
PERSONAL FOR PS/LORD CAITHNESS
(VISITING) FROM PAUL, HKD
MIPT: GUARDIAN ARTICLE ON THE NATIONALITY SCHEME
1.
I WOULD LIKE TO CORRECT A FUNDAMENTAL INACCURACY IN GERALD SEGAL'S COMMENTARY OF 5 MARCH ON OUR NATIONALITY SCHEME FOR HONG KONG. HE CLAIMS THAT LESS THAN 10 PER CENT OF THE AVAILABLE PLACES HAD BEEN APPLIED FOR. IN FACT THE SCHEME WAS OVER SUBSCRIBED BY MORE THAN 50 PER CENT.
2. 50,000 PLACES ARE AVAILABLE UNDER THE SCHEME: 43,250 NOW, THE FIRST TRANCHE, AND THE REST ARE TO BE ALLOCATED CLOSER TO 1997. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR THIS FIRST TRANCHE WAS 65,623.
IN
3. THE SCHEME IS TARGETTED ON KEY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WHOSE PRESENCE THERE IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF THE TERRITORY. THE AIM IS NOT TO LURE THEM TO BRITAIN. ON THE CONTRARY, THE AIM IS TO GIVE THEM THE CONFIDENCE TO STAY ON. 4. THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SCHEME, BY DEMONSTRATING THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG AT A TIME WHEN CONFIDENCE IN THE TERRITORY WAS AT A LOW EBB, UNDOUBTEDLY HAD A STABILISING EFFECT ON THE PUBLIC MOOD THERE. IT ALSO HELPED TO ENCOURAGE OTHER GOVERNMENTS TO PROVIDE SIMILAR ASSURANCE SCHEMES FOR HONG
KONG PEOPLE.
5. IT IS TRUE THAT THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS IS LOWER THAN THE
ESTIMATES WHICH APPEARED IN THE PRESS LAST YEAR. BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN, AS MR SEGAL SUGGESTS, THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE 'SNUBBED' THE OFFER. BECAUSE THE POINTS SYSTEM UNDER THE SCHEME IS FULLY OBJECTIVE AND TRANSPARENT, POTENTIAL APPLICANTS WERE ABLE TO ASSESS ACCURATELY THEIR PROSPECTS OF SUCCESS. IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT MANY OF THOSE WHO BELIEVED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL DECIDED NOT TO APPLY. IT IS ALSO RELEVANT THAT MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAVE ALREADY OBTAINED FOREIGN PASSPORTS, AND ARE THEREFORE INELIGIBLE.
1
PAGE CONFIDENTIAL