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10.
Nevertheless,
the quest for the post-1997 insurance of
foreign citizenship continues.
Many emigrants return,
attracted by the business opportunities here, disillusioned with life abroad or forced back by the lack of employment prospects
in recession-hit Western nations, but all are armed with the
knowledge that they can leave again if need be. The latent
fear of most people in Hong Kong of the brutality, insensitivity and disregard for human rights of the Chinese communist system
continues unabated; there is an undercoat of mistrust beneath
the gloss of confidence in the future.
Civil Service
11.
Civil servants harbour the same concerns as other
sectors of the community but they are particularly sensitive to
Chinese intentions in that these impact directly on their
careers after 1997. While the dispute over the airport in 1991
caused substantial concern with the future of the project thrown
into doubt, the current wrangle over financing is not perceived
as a threat but rather as yet another instance of Chinese
mischief.
The British Nationality Scheme has had an initial
overall positive effect on morale and initial fears that it
might prove divisive have not been realised.
12.
Morale in the Civil Service remains good; staff
wastage is now not a concern. Nevertheless, there remains an
underlying edginess and worries include the issues of pay trends
and future pension values.
There is also an underlying
suspicion that, before the handover in 1997, the Hong Kong
Government might attempt to reduce conditions of service.
do not know how many civil servants plan to leave either the
service or Hong Kong before 1997.
13.
We
The Chinese are keen to take over a fully staffed and
functioning Civil Service and wish to retain key personnel
within the
In recent months, senior civil
Administration.
servants have reported informal approaches by NCNA officials
keen to explain Chinese intentions and identify civil servants'
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