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United Kingdom,
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to have close
Drain began
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do in either business or the administration relatives in more than one of Canada, the Australia. Last year, when the 1997 Brain emerge as a larger and more sustained outflow, the Government
in order to maintain confidence
said the movement to other countries was a continuation of traditional emigration. This year the authorities have had to admit that it is a serious problem. (See our memorandum 92/1/1 of 12 July.) The newly-appointed Senior Member of the Legislative Council, Mr Allen Lee Peng-fei said last week:
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"The Brain Drain is our Number One problem. The long-term implications for Hong Kong are very serious. There is talk of nearly 50,000 migrations last year. Hong Kong has always been a place where people set off to other countries. But it is different now, because of the clase of people who are going. It is very serious and is going to continue for a few years yet.
LO
There are some things we should do. For a start, Hong Kong must strengthen its education in every field, train more people up to replace those departing and encourage people to stay.
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to
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Lee, one of Hong Kong's leading industrialists, is self-made millionaire who owns and runs an electronics company with branches in Europe and the United States. Shanghai-borja he came to Hong Kong aged 14. (We are preparing a report on the political significance. of the far-sighted change that Wilson is now making in the composition of the Executive and Legislative Councils.)
Hi-tech education
as
14 The extent of the problem is now officially recognised;
is the link between it and Hong Kong's educational show t comings. There are some 75 universities and polytechis Korea; 25 in Taiwan. In Hong Kong there are two full univer sities and one full polytech, and of only average quality by comparison with the best in those two countries countries with which Hong Kong is increasingly competing as a fellow NIC.
15 With Chinese labour rates one-fifth of Hong Kong's; and with rapidly rising socio/economic expectations in Hong Kong; and given that immigrants no longer arrive in the territory from the mainland; Hong Kong is expected to move up-market away from labour-intensive 'sweat-shop' manufacturing into the higher technology industries. Today the Hong Kong manufac- turing sector employs 880,000 workers within the territory, and three million repeat three million in factories on the other side of the border. (See our memorandum 92/1/1 'Labour shortage' of 9 September 1987.) Within a few years most of Hong Kong's labour-intensive manufacturing will be carried
if current PRC economic policies hold.
out in China
www
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/Hong
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