RESTRICTED
HKD 021/5
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FM CANBERRA
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 462
OF 260626Z AUGUST 92
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, PEKING, ACTOR
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3
156476
MDLIAN 7610
а
27/8.
AUSTRALIA: HONG KONG
SUMMARY
GOVERNMENT APPARENTLY
NATIONALITY TO KEY
1. LEAKED REPORT BY ACADEMIC FOR AUSTRALIAN RECOMMENDS CONCESSIONARY GRANT OF AUSTRALIAN
HONG KONG EMPLOYEES. REPORT HAS NO OFFICIAL STATUS. DOUBTFUL IF IT WILL OVERTURN SIGNIFICANT POLICY OBJECTIONS TO MODIFYING GLOBAL NON-DISCRIMINATORY BASIS OF AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION PROGRAMME.
DETAIL
T
2. THE 'AUSTRALIAN' NEWSPAPER OF 26 AUGUST REPORTED THAT A LEAKED DRAFT REPORT ON SOUTHERN CHINA HAS RECOMMENDED THE CONCESSIONARY GRANT OF AUSTRALIAN NATIONALITY TO KEY EMPLOYEES OF AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES BASED IN HONG KONG. ACCORDING TO THE NEWSPAPER, THE REPORT ARGUES THAT MORE THAN 250 AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES IN HONG KONG EMPLOY VALUABLE LOCAL STAFF SOME OF WHOM FEEL PARTICULARLY EXPOSED AS 1997 APPROACHES OR MAY SIMPLY DECIDE TO EMIGRATE PREMATURELY: ''ONE WAY IN WHICH ESSENTIAL STAFF MAY BE RETAINED, AND WHICH HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY OTHER COUNTRIES, HAS BEEN THE GRANTING OF CITIZENSHIP.''
3. THE DRAFT REPORT IS ALSO SAID TO ASSESS THAT GUANGDONG AND FUJIAN PROVINCES, TOGETHER WITH TAIWAN AND HONG KONG, COULD BECOME ONE OF THE BIGGEST ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD WITH A COMBINED POPULATION OF 140 MILLION AND A GNP OF US DOLLARS 549 BILLION BY THE YEAR 2000. HOWEVER, THE REVERSION OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG TO CHINA IN 1997 IS THE BIGGEST QUESTION-MARK OVER THE REGION'S CONTINUED GROWTH.
L
(A)
(B)
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT APPARENTLY INCLUDE:
THAT AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES SHOULD RECRUIT AND TRAIN CANTONESE AND HOKKIEN SPEAKING AUSTRALIANS TO ASSIST IN STRENGTHENING COMMERCIAL LINKS WITH SOUTHERN CHINA.
ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONSULATE-GENERAL IN CANTON.
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