XN000022-1990-01-19 — Page 5

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 1990

"DESPITE THE BRAIN DRAIN WE WILL HAVE

TALENTED YOUNG LEADERS IN INDUSTRY, IN COMMERCE AND, IN THE CIVIL SERVICE ΤΟ DRIVE THESE PROJECTS THROUGH.

"TO THEM I SAY: THIS IS THE CHALLENGE AS WE MOVR INTO THE NINETIES," HE SAID.

NATIONALITY QUESTION MUST BE PUT IN PERSPECTIVE: CS

* *

OF

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID THE QUESTION NATIONALITY MUST BE PUT IN PERSPECTIVE AND THERE SHOULD NOT BE OVER-REACTION TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN CANTON.

SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA AFTER HE OPENED THE "HONG KONG INTO THE 90's" EXHIBITION AT THE HONG KONG CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING, SIR DAVID SAID: "IT'S BEEN CLEAR THAT THESE ARE EARLY PROPOSALS AND CLEARLY WE WOULD WANT TO STUDY WHAT APPEARS

IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW."

HE SAID THESE PROPOSALS CAME AS NO GREAT SURPRISE BECAUSE AFTER ALL THERE WAS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION A VERY CLEAR INDICATION THAT AS FAR AS PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS WERE CONCERNED THAT THEY SHOULD BE CHINESE NATIONALS.

CONCERNED IF

THOSE PROPOSALS WERE

"WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE EXTENDED WIDELY INTO CIVIL SERVICE.

"BUT, SO FAR, THERE IS NO INDICATION OF ᎢᎻᎪᎢ . 30 THE NUMBER AFFECTED BY WHAT IS BEING SAID IN CANTON IS VERY LIMITED, HE ADDED.

THAT THESE

SIR DAVID SAID: "CLEARLY TO SUGGEST

ANY WAY TORPEDO THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE ARE NONSENSE.

PROPOSALS IN

"THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IS 20 OR 30 AT THE MOST AND THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE PROVIDES ASSURANCES FOR SOME 50,000 FAMILIES AND SO THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THESE PROPOSALS WILL UNDERMINE THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID.

.

SERIOUSLY

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