TNAG-1858-FCO40-2633-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 94

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FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 2616OOZ FCO

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MY 7TH IPT: MY ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL : 11 OCTOBER

DRAFT TEXT ON HONG KONG'S RELATIONS WITH THE UK IS AS FOLLOWS:

RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM

13. ANOTHER FEATURE OF THE PAST YEAR HAS BEEN THE EVOLUTION OF OUR

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM. CONTRARY TO SOME POPULAR MYTHS, THIS GOVERNMENT HAS FOR MANY YEARS BEEN LEFT ESSENTIALLY FREE TO GET ON WITH THE JOB OF RUNNING HONG KONG BY ITSELF. WE HAVE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR INTERNAL AFFAIRS, SUCH AS EDUCATION, SOCIAL WELFARE AND MEDICAL SERVICES. FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS OR SO, WE HAVE MADE ALL OUR OWN POLICY DECISIONS IN OTHER IMPORTANT AREAS SUCH AS THE ECONOMY, TRADE AND FINANCE.

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14 AS A RESULT, WE HAVE DEVELOPED SOME INTERESTS WHICH ARE SEPARATE FROM THOSE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. SOMETIMES WE HAVE BEEN RIVALS, OR HAVE FOUND OURSELVES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. IN THE PAST YEAR OR TWO, FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE HAD TO ARGUE ABOUT THE RELATIVE SHARES OF COSTS INCURRED BY THE

BRITISH GARRISON IN HONG KONG AND ABOUT THE PART THE UNITED

KINGDOM PLAYS IN RESETTLING VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG. YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS ARGUED LONG AND HARD ON HONG KONG'S BEHALF. AND WITH A FAIR DEGREE OF SUCCESS.

15. WE HAVE ALSO PUT FORWARD A CLEAR HONG KONG CASE ON THE

NATIONALITY ISSUE. I FULLY UNDERSTAND AND SYMPATHISE WITH THE

WIDESPREAD HOPE IN HONG KONG THE BRITAIN WILL GRANT THE RIGHT OF

ABODE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM TO ALL HONG KONG BRITISH NATIONALS..

BOTH PRIVATELY AND PUBLICLY I HAVE MADE CLEAR MY VIEW THAT SUCH AMOVE WOULD HAVE A VERY POSITIVE EFFECT ON CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG, AND THAT THE NUMBER WHO WOULD ACTUALLY LEAVE WOULD BE SMALL..

16. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS SAID THAT IT DOES NOT BELIEVE IT 15

POSSIBLE TO GRANT THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN BRITAIN TO ALL HONG KONG

BRITISH NATIONALS. INSTEAD IT HAS PROMISED A SCHEME UNDER WHICH

THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK WILL BE GRANTED TO SOME BRITISH

NATIONALS FROM HONG KONG. WE HAVE BEEN ASSURED THAT WORK IS GOING

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