TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1990
COMMITMENTS TO FURTHER SCHEMES OF ASSURANCES: MAUDE
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BRITAIN'S APPEAL TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO COME FORWARD WITH SCHEMES OF ASSURANCES FOR HONG KONG HAS RESULTED IN FIRM COMMITMENTS AND POTENTIAL COM.¡ITMENTS, THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR FRANCIS MAUDE, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
SPEAKING ΤΟ REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING A MEETING OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, MR MAUDE SAID: "WE HAVE DONE A GREAT DEAL OF TO SECURE THESE COMMITMENTS AND POTENTIAL COMMITMENTS, BUT THAT IS NOT YET DONE.
THE
WORK WORK
**THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT ARE IMPLEMENTING A SCHEME WHICH WILL PROVIDE PASSPORTS OR RIGHTS OF ENTRY FOR UP TO 1,500 EMPLOYEES OF FRENCH COMPANIES AND THEIR FAMILIES THAT IS UP TO 1,500 HEADS OF
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HOUSEHOLDS AND THEIR FAMILIES," MR MAUDE SAID.
"GERMANY, BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG ARE ABOUT TO FINALISE SCHEMES OF BROADLY THE SAME NATURE AND A NUMBER OF OTHER EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COUNTRIES ARE ACTIVELY CONSIDERING WHAT THEY CAN DO, HE ADDED.
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THE MINISTER NOTED THAT THE SINGAPORE SCHEME WAS ALREADY IN EXISTENCE AND WAS ALREADY PROVIDING SOME SUPPORT FOR HONG KONG.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT FLEXIBILITY EXISTED WITHIN BOTH THE AUSTRALIAN AND THE CANADIAN IMMIGRATION RULES WHICH HAD PROVIDED AND COULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FOR PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, SOME ADDITIONAL INSURANCE IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER MEASURES.
MR
MAUDE SAID THAT IN THE UNITED STATES THERE WAS AN EXISTING AMENDMENT TO THE IMMIGRATION BILL TO INCREASE THE QUOTA FROM HONG KONG TO 20,000.
"THERE IS NOW A FURTHER AMENDMENT PROPOSED TO IT WHICH WOULD ENABLE APPLICANTS TO DEFER TAKING UP THEIR RIGHT OF ENTRY FOR ANOTHER 12 YEARS WHICH WOULD HAVE THE SAME SORT OF EFFECT AS OUR OWN NATIONALITY PACKAGE,' THE MINISTER SAID.
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POTENTIAL
"WE SHALL CONTINUE TO TRY TO DELIVER FURTHER COMMITMENTS ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG. BUT IF THESE COMMITMENTS AND COMMITMENTS ALL MATERIALISE AND WITH THE FLEXIBILITY FROM CANADA AND AUSTRALIA THAT I HAVE REFERRED TO, THIS COULD CAUSE THE EFFECTS OF OUR OWN NATIONALITY PACKAGE TO MULTIPLY AND THAT I THINK IS VERY GOOD NEWS INDEED FOR HONG KONG, MR MAUDE SAID.
THE MINISTER STRESSED THAT THERE WAS NO INTENTION TO INTERNATIONALISE MATTERS WHICH WERE PROPERLY FOR CHINA AND BRITAIN то DEAL WITH TOGETHER.
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BUT WE'VE EXPLAINED TO CHINA THAT HONG KONG IS IN ITS NATURE AN INTERNATIONAL PLACE. THERE ARE BIG INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS.
/"IT DEPENDS