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quite some time. Freer movement of people across the border for business or pleasure should do no harm, and could be beneficial to both Hong Kong and the SSEZ. This argues for streamlining and speeding up the existing entry/exit procedures. Some separation is however
important to prevent the free movement of workers because the movement of workers from a low wage economy like the SSEZ to a high wage economy like Hong Kong would damage the latter. While the acceptance of a llong Kong identity card as a travel document in place of a re-entry permit or a passport could shorten the time needed for
border-crossing, the desirability of this policy would
critically depend on the continuing integrity of border controls and of the link between possession of a Hong Kong identity card and employment in Hong Kong.
31.
It is essential to maintain Hong Kong and the SSEZ as separate entities, in order to preserve the uniqueness of Hong Kong. Any developments, which could lead to the weakening of this separation or to the merging of Hong Kong with the SSEZ, must be handled with extreme caution because they would tend to destroy the uniqueness of Hong Kong (a major provision in the Sino-British Joint Declaration) and would, thus, not be in Hong Kong's long
term interests.
32.
A relaxation in the regulations regarding the importation of Chinese workers into Hong Kong so as to let them in on a daily basis would have the effect of blurring the international border separating Hong Kong from the ᏚᏚᎬᏃ . There are well-established economic arguments
against the importation of cheap labour (or any increase in legal or illegal immigration into Hong Kong).
CONFIDENTIAL # 3
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