XN000022-1989-11-18 — Page 2

1

SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 18, 1989

NO DECISION YET ON NATIONALITY PACKAGE: GOVERNOR

NO DECISIONS HAVE YET BEEN MADE BY BRITISH MINISTERS ON THE RIGHT OF ABODE PACKAGE FOR PEOPLE OF HONG

KONG. THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

AIRPORT SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE

ON HIS RETURN FROM A VISIT TO LONDON. SIR DAVID SAID THE BRITISH HOME OFFICE TEAM. WHICH, WAS IN HONG KONG RECENTLY TRYING TO WORK OUT A FAIR SYSTEM AND LOOK AT WAYS IN WHICH A PACKAGE COULD BE DESIGNED. WAS WORKING VERY HARD ON THE DETAILS OF THE PACKAGE.

OF

"THEY DO STILL HOPE TO TRY TO GET A PACKAGE BY ABOUT THE TURN WE DO THE YEAR, BUT NOBODY COULD BE PRECISE ABOUT THE TIMING AND HAVE A NEW HOME SECRETARY WHO HAS GOT TO FAMILIARISE HIMSELF WITH THE DETAILS BEFORE HE GOES PUBLIC ON A PACKAGE." HE SAID.

ALL

WAS

POINTING OUT THAT HE HAD BEEN PRESSING FOR A PACKAGE WHICH AS GENEROUS AS IT POSSIBLY COULD BE, SIR DAVID SAID: "IF WE CAN'T HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN GOING FOR. IN OTHER WORDS FULL V.K. PASSPORTS FOR ALL BRITISH NATIONALS, THEN IF THERE IS TO BE A PACKAGE, IT SHOULD BE AS GENEROUS AS POSSIBLE.

||

GOVERNOR ASKED HOW MANY PASSPORTS HE HAD BEEN CALLING FOR, THE SAID: "I'M NOT GIVING FIGURES ON THIS. WHAT I AM TRYING TO DO IS TO SAY THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING WHICH IS GENEROUS SO THAT IT COVERS A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF KEY PEOPLE IN BOTH THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

11

IT'S VERY HARD TO PUT PRECISE FIGURES ON IT BECAUSE EVERY TIME PEOPLE WHO YOU TRY TO PUT A FIGURE ON IT THERE WOULD BE MANY. MANY

SIR DAVID WOULD SAY OBVIOUSLY THAT FIGURE IS ONE THEY DISAGREED WITH," SAID.

'WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS TO PRESS TO UP WHATEVER FIGURE IT THAT THE BRITISH SIDE IS THINKING OF," HE ADDED.

19

THE GOVERNOR ALSO NOTED THAT HONG KONG'S STATUS, IN RELATION TO FINANCIAL THE REST OF THE WORLD. AS A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL TRADING AND CENTRE WAS A KEY PART OF THE TERRITORY NOW.

"IT IS WRITTEN VFRY CLEARLY INTO THE JOINT DECLARATION. FUNDAMENTAL ΤΟ THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF HONG KONG. AND INDEED, FUNDAMENTAL TO THE ROLE THAT HONG KONG CAN PLAY IN RELATION TO A HELPFUL ROLE AS A BRIDGE DETWEEN CHINA AND THE REST SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL GO ON TRYING TO WORK FOR.

ASKED

14

OF THE HE SAID.

IT IS IT IS CHINA, WORLD.

THAT OFFICIAL TO COMMENT ON REMARKS MADE BY A CHINESE

HONG

HAD DONE THINGS TO HURT CHINA KONG

HELPING CHINESE INCLUDING

DON'T STUDENTS TO ESCAPE, THE GOVERNOR REITERATED : "WE IN HONG KONG

CHINA, WANT HONG KONG TO BE A BASE FOR SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES AGAINST BUT WE DO ATTACH VERY GREAT IMPORTANCE TO OUR OWN FREEDOMS KONG UNDER THE LAW.

IN HONG

"THOSE ARE VITAL FOR HONG KONG AND THOSE ARE SOMETHING WHICH WE ARE DETERMINED TO PRESERVE." SIR DAVID SAID.

0

-

/2