IN HONG KONG.
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THE U.S. ALSO HAS A DEEP INTEREST IN PROTECTING HUMAN
RIGHTS IN HONG KONG, AS WE DO THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
BECAUSE
HONG KONG RESIDENTS HAVE LONG ENJOYED RESPECT FOR THEIR BASIC
HUMAN RIGHTS, THIS ASPECT OF THE TRANSITION MERITS THE SPECIAL
ATTENTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD.
U.S. POLICY TOWARD HONG KONG
WE ARE NOT HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS MFN FOR CHINA, BUT I WOULD
BE REMISS IF I DID NOT POINT OUT THAT THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST
IN IMPORTANT U.S. TRADE POLICY MEASURE AFFECTING HONG KONG.
VIEW OF THE INCREASINGLY CLOSE ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF HONG
KONG AND SOUTH CHINA, THE U.S. CANNOT IMPOSE PROHIBITIVE
TARIFFS ON CHINESE GOODS AND IMAGINE THAT HONG KONG WOULD
ESCAPE THE INEVITABLE SERIOUS ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES.
THOUSANDS OF HONG KONG WORKERS WOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS AND
BUSINESS CONFIDENCE WOULD SUSTAIN TREMENDOUS DAMAGE. STEP WOULD BE INCONSISTENT WITH CONGRESS' CONCERN FOR HONG KONG.
TENS OF
SUCH A
THAT CONCERN HAS, BEFORE TODAY, MANIFESTED ITSELF IN
CONGRESSIONAL PASSAGE, WITH ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT, OF
PROVISIONS IN THE IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1990 WHICH WERE
SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED AT HONG KONG. THESE MEASURES ENSURED
THAT HONG KONG WOULD NOT BE AMALGAMATED INTO CHINA'S
IMMIGRATION QUOTA IN 1997. THE PROVISIONS ASSISTED IN CREATING
AN IMMIGRATION "SAFETY NET" FOR HONG KONG BY ALLOWING MOST
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