Ra 516/1
Ра
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1358
OF 200917Z AUGUST 93
UNCLASSIFIED
HKA 0161
Br
2 AUG 1993
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JEG HONG KONG -
9x
167622
MDHIAN 2404
TOP COPY G DIST?
LOCALISATION POLICY AUGUST)
Spe
REMARKS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS/ SOURCES (20
YESTERDAY (19 AUGUST) IN PEKING, LU PING, DIRECTOR OF HKMAO, SAID THAT THE NEW MEASURE OF ALLOWING OVERSEAS CIVIL SERVANTS TO SWITCH TO LOCAL TERMS WAS MAJOR CHANGE RELATING TO SMOOTH TRANSITION. IT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED BY THE CHINESE AND BRITISH SIDES. BOTH THE JD AND BL MENTIONED THE CONVERGENCE OF SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM. THESE SYSTEMS SHOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. THE EXISTING LEGISLATION ON THE DEFINITION OF A PERMANENT RESIDENT WAS NOT IN LINE WITH THE BL AND SHOULD BE AMENDED. THE SAR GOVERNMENT WOULD ALLOW EMPLOYMENT OF CIVIL SERVANTS OF FOREIGN NATIONALITIES, BUT THE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED DRASTICALLY.
2. MING PAO (19 AUGUST) IN A REPORT FILED FROM PEKING SAID THAT THE NEW POLICY SHOULD BE DISCUSSED IN THE JLG BECAUSE ITS EFFECT WOULD EXTEND BEYOND 1997, AND IT HAD CAUSED DISSATISFACTION AMONG LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS HENCE ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE TRANSITION. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD OFFICIALLY REQUESTED THAT THE NEW POLICY BE DISCUSSED AT THE JLG MEETING TO BE HELD IN SEPTEMBER IN PEKING. HOWEVER THE BRITISH SIDE HAD NOT INDICATED ITS AGREEMENT. THE SECOND DEPARTMENT OF THE HKMAO WAS CURRENTLY STUDYING THE ISSUE, BUT DUE TO LIMITED INFORMATION, WAS UNABLE TO GRASP IT FULLY. THEREFORE EVEN THOUGH THE CHINESE SIDE WAS DISSATISFIED WITH THE NEW POLICY, THEY HAD NOT REACTED STRONGLY. THE SOURCES SAID THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT ONCE THE STUDY WAS COMPLETED, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD RESPOND OR TAKE ACTION.
3. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL (20 AUGUST) REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WAS WORRIED THAT THE LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS' RECENT PROTESTS AGAINST THE NEW POLICY WOULD BECOME TOO RADICAL AND WOULD AFFECT THE STABILITY OF THE CIVIL SERVICE. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD INDICATED TO THE BRITISH SIDE THAT THEY HOPED THE ISSUE WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT THE JLG MEETING TO BE HELD IN SEPTEMBER IN PEKING. SINCE THE NEW POLICY CHANGED THE EXISTING
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