XN000022-1985-05-03 — Page 2

FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1985

HK OFFICIAL HOLDS TALKS WITH CANADIANS

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THE CHIEF SECRETARY - DESIGNATE, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, WHO HAS BEEN VISITING HONG KONG'S OVERSEAS OFFICES, HAD A SERIES OF TALKS YESTERDAY (THURSDAY) WITH CANADIAN OFFICIALS IN OTTAWA ON MATTERS OF MUTUAL CONCERN.

HE SPENT MOST OF THE DAY WITH TOP-RANKING MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, DISCUSSING A WIDE VARIETY OF SUBJECTS, RANGING FROM THE RESETTLEMENT OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES TO TRADE AND INVESTMENT FROM CANADA,

WAS NOTED THAT SINCE THE EXODUS OF REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM BEGAN N 1975, CANADA HAS TAKEN A TOTAL OF 16 739 SUCH REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, BEING SECOND TO THE UNITED STATES IN DOING SO.

HONG KONG HAS ACCEPTED 14 500 REFUGEES. BUT THERE ARE STILL OVER 11 000 SUCH REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AWAITING RESETTLEMENT OVERSEAS. AS THE RATE OF RESETTLEMENT HAS FALLEN DRASTICALLY IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.

WITH REGARD TO TRADE. IT WAS NOTED THAT CANADA-HONG KONG TRADE RELATIONS CONTINUED TO EXPAND. HONG KONG'S TOTAL TRADE WITH CANADA IN 1984 WAS $418 BILLION.

EARLIER, MR AKERS-JONES HAD ADDRESSED A BREAKFAST MEETING OF SENIOR CANADIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICIALS, DURING WHICH HE EMPHASISED SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND THE STEPS BEING TAKEN BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE A SMOOTH RUNUP TO 1997, WHEN SOVEREIGNTY IS TRANSFERRED TO CHINA.

HE HAD ALREADY INDICATED THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HOPED TO HAVE +EVERY THING IN PLACE BY 1994 OR 1995 SO THAT THE TRANSITION WILL TAKE PLACE WITHOUT A BUMP+.

IN THE LATE AFTERNOON HE HAD A MEETING WITH THE BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER, SIR DEREK DAY, AND DISCUSSIONS WITH OFFICIALS OF THE COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT.

MR AKERS-JONES WAS DUE TO LEAVE TODAY (FRIDAY) FOR VANCOUVER BEFORE GOING ON TO JAPAN.

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