TNAG-1821-FCO40-2584-Emigration-from-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 168

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1191

OF 23085OZ MARCH 88

INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA

ниб HUD 341/5

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY

011274

MDLIAN 4557

MY TELNOS 1137 AND 1150 AND OTTAWA TELNO 190 : EMIGRATION FROM HONG KONG

1. POLITICAL ADVISER SPOKE TO CANADIAN COMMISSIONER ON 23 MARCH.

HE DEALT WITH OUR CONCERNS ON EMIGRATION TO CANADA IN GENERAL TERMS AND ASKED FOR FURTHER HELP WITH STATISTICS. HE MENTIONED THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN SIR A URWICK AND THE CANADIAN FINANCE MINISTER ABOUT THE DAVOS MEETING AND THE MINISTER'S POSITIVE RESPONSE.

2. THE COMMISSIONER SAID THAT SHE HAD BEEN AT THE CONVERSATION AT DAVOS BETWEEN MR WILSON AND HONG KONG BUSINESSMEN, THE MINISTER H AD INITIATED A DISCUSSION ON TWO-WAY INVESTMENT. HE HAD NOT MENTIONED IMMIGRATION UNTIL HE WAS QUESTIONED ON THE SUBJECT.

MISS DOYLE WAS CLEARLY PUT OUT THAT AN APPROACH HAD BEEN MADE IN OTTAWA BEFORE WE CONTACTED HER. DESPITE THIS THE MEETING WAS USEFUL IN UNDERLINING OUR CONCERN ABOUT THE DEMAND-PULL EFFECT FROM CANADA AND THE ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES CANADA OBTAINS FROM A STABLE HONG KONG. MISS DOYLE MAINTAINED THAT THE POINT WAS FULLY TAKEN BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUT ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS LITTLE CONTROL OVER PROVINCES. POLITICAL ADVISER URGED HER TO PRESS FOR MORE EFFECTIVE BRIEFING OF THE LATTER.

FORD

YYYY

DISTRIBUTION

50

ΜΑΙΝ

49

HONG KONG AGREEMENT RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH (FE)

PAGE

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR EGGAR

PS/PUS

MR MCLAREN

MR GILLMORE

1

CONFIDENTIAL