UNCLASSIFIED
172272
MDLIAN 2569
WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.
LOCALISATION.
14. MING PAO (19.8) IN A REPORT FILED FROM PEKING SAID THE
CHINESE SIDE HAD FORMALLY RAISED THE REQUEST THAT THE NEW POLICY ON ALLOWING EXPATRIATE CIVIL SERVANTS TO CHANGE TO LOCAL TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT BE DISCUSSED IN THE NEXT JLG MEETING. HOWEVER, THE BRITISH SIDE HAD NOT INDICATED THEIR AGREEMENT. QUOTING A SOURCE, THE REPORT SAID THE SECOND DEPARTMENT OF THE HKMAO WAS CURRENTLY STUDYING THE ISSUE, BUT SINCE IT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NOT COME UP WITH ANY STRONG REACTION SO FAR. BUT ONCE THE STUDY WAS COMPLETED, THE SOURCE WOULD NOT PRECLUDE THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD REACT.
15.
HKMAO DIRECTOR LU PING WAS QUOTED AS SAYING (20.8) THE NEW MEASURES SHOULD BE DISCUSSED BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. LU SAID ACCORDING TO THE JD AND BL, HONG KONG'S CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEMS SHOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED. HE NOTED THE PRESENT DEFINITION OF HONG KONG PERMANENT RESIDENTS IN HONG KONG LAW WAS DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE BL AND THE HONG KONG LAW SHOULD BE AMENDED ACCORDINGLY.
16. HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL QUOTED CHINESE SOURCES AS SAYING (20.8) THE CHINESE SIDE WERE WORRIED THE STRONG REACTION OF LOCAL OFFICERS TO THE NEW POLICY MIGHT AFFECT THE STABILITY OF THE CIVIL SERVICE. THE CHINESE SIDE WANTED TO SEEK A SOLUTION THROUGH THE JLG. THE SOURCES SAID THE CHINESE SIDE HAD ALREADY INDICATED TO THE BRITISH SIDE THEY WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE MATTER IN THE NEXT ROUND OF JLG MEETINGS IN SEPTEMBER. THE SOURCES SAID THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT ASK THE HKG TO REPLACE 'PAST UNFAIRNESS' BY 'NEW UNFAIRNESS'. THE BL HAD CLEAR STIPULATIONS THAT EXPATRIATE OFFICERS COULD REMAIN IN THE CIVIL SERVICE. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NO INTENTION OF REJECTING THOSE EXPATRIATES WHO WERE WILLING TO SERVE HONG KONG AND WHO SATISFIED BL REQUIREMENTS.
17. THE ACTING GOVERNOR SIR DAVID FORD WAS QUOTED (20.8) AS
REITERATING THE NEW MEASURE WAS AN INTERIM ARRANGEMENT AND DID NOT HAVE ANY LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS AFTER 1997. HE EXMPHASISED THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD WANT TO DISCUSS WITH THE CHINESE SIDE THE DEFINITION FOR PERMANENT RESIDENTS IN HONG KONG AND HOW THAT WOULD APPLY TO THE CIVIL SERVICE. SIR DAVID ALSO CALLED ON CIVIL SERVANTS TO HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND NOT RESORT TO DRASTIC
ACTIONS.
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UNCLASSIFIED