TNAG-1561-FCO40-2125-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 17

pa

Mr hayde

4KD

}

Mrr Myan

to see

I'm shy we shouldn't do this

portion on

と

C220

Landen, whis

it makes our wi

nationality farse. So

Jayon have

we'll have to support 1.0.

any

comnewor!

But not yet. Slaydan 24/3

3

From the Private Secretary

CONFIDENTIAL

10 DOWNING STREET

упенчаты

21

W(385)

PS/Mr Renton it 39 PS/PUS

Şir w Handing Ar wilson or

18 March 1986

Qm '873

Qm13

Thank you for your letter of 13 March about the scope for wealthy Hong Kong Chinese prepared to invest in this country to obtain British Citizen passports.

The Prime Minister finds the Home Secretary's response unimaginative. The Government is devoting a very

considerable effort to persuading wealthy Hong Kong Chinese to demonstrate their confidence in the Hong Kong Agreement by staying on in the colony and maintaining their business and investments there, when their natural instincts may well be to move out and transfer their funds elsewhere. The Home Secretary's approach runs directly counter to this because it says in effect that we would be prepared to help these people only if they move out of Hong Kong and come to live here. We would thus be:

(a)

(b)

undermining confidence in the future of Hong Kong

and

passing up the opportunity of substantial investment in this country.

The Prime Minister cannot believe that this is a sensible policy. She would be grateful if the Home

Secretary would examine the matter again, with the Foreign Secretary, and then discuss it with her. In the meantime it would be better not to reply to Mr. Sandberg.

I am copying this letter to Len Appleyard (Foreign and Commonwealth Office).

Z

we

as this for some nich Chinese, how

can we not do it for rich (< them

Homeo!

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 6 MAR 1986

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

CHARLES POWELL

PA

Action Taken

CONFIDENTIAL

poor)

ron-etini

etni Chinese

(eg. 11000 Indians)

love

R

TIM KENTON