SECRET
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 1052
OF 16151OZ MAY 89
SECRET
+KB 011/3
365
075767
MDHOAN 1334
TOP COPY Q DIST?
STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL, HKD
HONG KONG: FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
1.
STRICTLY FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL INFORMATION, YOU MIGHT FIND IT HELPFUL TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT OF WHAT DAVID HOWELL RECENTLY TOLD THE SECRETARY OF STATE ABOUT THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG AND PEKING. ROBIN MCLAREN HAS ALREADY COVERED DAVID HOWELL'S REMARKS ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT (OUR TELNO 1021).
GENERAL
2.
MR HOWELL SAID THEY HAD CONSCIOUSLY TRIED TO FIND WAYS OF LOWERING EXPECTATIONS: THEY HAD BEEN QUITE TAKEN ABACK BY THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE COMMITTEE'S ENQUIRY HAD RAISED HOPES. 3. IN GENERAL, MR HOWELL HAD BEEN STRUCK BY THE FRAGILE NATURE OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG DESPITE THE BOOMING ECONOMY. HE HAD BEEN STRUCK BY HONG KONG'S ABILITY TO SELF-INDUCE A FEELING OF INSECURITY. THERE WAS A RISK OF SEVERE CONSEQUENCES FROM ANY RECESSION IN THE UNITED STATES. MR HOWELL WAS THEREFORE AS WORRIED BY, SAY, 1992 AS BY 1997. HE FELT THAT PART OF THE ANSWER TO THIS HAD TO BE AN ALMOST CONTINUOUS DIET OF QUOTE GESTURE POLITICS UNQUOTE TO CONVINCE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG THAT
BRITAIN REALLY CARED.
4 -
MR HOWELL SAID THAT HE PARTICULARLY WANTED TO TEST SOME OF THE IMPRESSIONS HE HAD HAD FROM THE CHINESE (THE COMMITTEE THOUGHT THAT THE CHINESE HAD PLAYED STRAIGHT WITH THEM BUT RECOGNISED THAT THERE COULD BE OTHER INTERPRETATIONS).
NATIONALITY
5. THE COMMITTEE WERE CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF GIVING RIGHT OF ABODE TO 3.3 MILLION PEOPLE. THEY WERE EQUALLY CLEAR THAT SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT HAD TO BE DONE. THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS WERE NOT WORTH THE PAPER THEY WERE WRITTEN ON. THERE HAD BEEN A TINY SUCCESS RATE AMONG APPLICANTS UNDER SECTION 4(5). OTHER CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE EITHER DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS AVAILABLE TO THEM OR DID NOT BELIEVE IT. THE ASSURANCES WE HAD
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