RESTRICTED
156476
MDLIA 7610
(C)
(D)
5.
PROVISION OF CENTRAL FUNDING FOR AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES TO BEGIN TEACHING CANTONESE AND HOKKIEN.
ESTABLISHING A SOUTHERN CHINA STUDIES CENTRE SIMILAR TO THE
CENTRES ALREADY SERVING THAILAND AND KOREA
DFAT DESCRIBED THE PRESS REPORT TO
UP.''
TY US AS SOMETHING OF A 'BEAT THEY STRESSED THAT THE DOCUMENT IS NO MORE THAN A DRAFT CIRCULATED WITHIN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS FOR COMMENT AND THAT THE REPORT HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN (AS REPORTED IN THE PRESS) BY THE EAST ASIA ANALYSIS UNIT IN DFAT, BUT BY PROFESSOR DAVID GOODMAN OF THE ASIAN RESEARCH UNIT AT MURDOCH UNIVERSITY.
COMMENT
THE
6. IF THE DRAFT REPORT'S CONTENTS HAVE BEEN ACCURATELY REPORTED, REPORT, WHEN FINALISED, SHOULD STRENGTHEN THE ARM OF THOSE ARGUING FOR THE EXTENSION OF AUSTRALIAN NATIONALITY TO KEY HONG KONG PEOPLE WITHOUT SUCH PEOPLE BEING OBLIGED TO LEAVE HONG KONG FOR A
SIGNIFICANT PERIOD. IT IS NO SECRET THAT AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES HAVE BEEN PRESSING FOR THIS MEASURE FOR SOME TIME. WE UNDERSTAND THAT A RECENT SURVEY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HONG KONG HAS IDENTIFIED 70 TO 80 KEY HONG KONG CHINESE EXECUTIVES CONSIDERED VITAL TO THEIR COMPANY'S OPERATIONS. HOWEVER, IT REMAINS DOUBTFUL IF THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WILL BE PREPARED TO
COMPROMISE THE KEY PRINCIPLE (GLOBAL NON-DISCRIMINATION) UPON WHICH AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION POLICY IS BASED. IMMIGRATION POLICY MAKERS WILL BE ANXIOUS THAT IF THIS PRINCIPLE IS BREACHED IN THE CASE OF HONG KONG, THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED TO PRESSURE FROM MANY OTHER GROUPS SEEKING COMPARABLE DISCRETIONARY TREATMENT.
7. WE ARE TRYING TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THE DRAFT REPORT.
BARDER
YYYY