TNAG-1561-FCO40-2125-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 18

From the Private Secretary

CONFIDENTIAL

MON

Mr Laydow

AKD

>

fr PS

10 DOWNING STREET

360

Ps/MW Renton PS/PUS

Sir w Handing fr wilson on

18 March 1986

Qm '873

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)

undermining confidence in the future of Hong Kong

and

(b) 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).

385

W.R. Fittall, Esq., Home Office,

нии осоту

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

2 4 MAR 1986

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

CHARLES POWELL

CONFIDENTIAL