CONFIDENTIAL
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035457
MDHIAN 0358
PURSUE. I SHALL SAY MORE ABOUT THIS IN MY SPEECH TO THE COUNCIL IN OCTOBER.
RECENT EVENTS HAVE ALSO PRODUCED IN MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY A STRONG DESIRE FOR GREATER ASSURANCES ABOUT THEIR OWN PERSONAL FUTURE. UNDERSTANDABLY SO. IN PARTICULAR THERE HAS BEEN A STRONG DEMAND THAT THOSE HOLDING THE VARIOUS FORMS OF BRITISH HONG KONG PASSPORTS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT OF ENTRY OR THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK. AS MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WILL KNOW, I HAVE PUT THESE VIEWS, AND PUT THEM STRONGLY, TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY. I HAVE EXPLAINED THAT SUCH A MOVE WOULD DO AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF GOOD IN HONG KONG AT A TIME WHEN A BOOST TO MORALE IS BADLY NEEDED. I HAVE ALSO EXPLAINED THAT, IN MY JUDGEMENT AND THAT OF ALL THOSE WHOSE ADVICE I HAVE SOUGHT, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD ACTIVELY WANT TO MAKE USE OF THEIR RIGHT WOULD BE VERY SMALL IN COMPARISON TO THE NUMBER ENTITLED. THE VAST MAJORITY OF
HONG KONG PEOPLE WANT TO STAY IN HONG KONG. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO FIND
WAYS THEY CAN DO SO WITH AS MUCH ASSURANCE AS POSSIBLE ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL FUTURES. YOU KNOW THE ANSWER WE HAVE RECEIVED THAT BRITISH MINISTERS BELIEVE THAT POLITICALLY IF WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR PARLIAMENT TO CONTEMPLATE PROVIDING A RIGHT OF ENTRY OR ABODE TO SUCH A POTENTIALLY LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, BUT THEY ARE EXAMINING URGENTLY WHAT GREATER FLEXIBILITY COULD BE INTRODUCED
TO EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THIS REVIEW WILL PRODUCE. MEANWHILE THE TWO SENIOR MEMBERS, DAME LYDIA DUNN AND MR ALLEN LEE, ARE NOW IN LONDON CONTINUTING TO PRESS THE CASE FOR GENEROUS PROVISIONS TO COVER ALSO BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS AND A MORAL COMMITMENT TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IF THE WORST
CAME TO THE WORST THEY WILL HAVE THE SUPPORT OF ALL OF US IN THEIR
EFFORTS.
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RECENT EVENTS HAVE SHAKEN CONFIDENCE IN THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR
HONG KONG'S FUTURE. THIS IS A FACT WHICH WE HAVE TO RECOGNISE. WE HAVE TO RECOGNISE OTHER FACTS AS WELL. HISTORY HAS GIVEN US THE DATE 1997 AS A POINT OF CHANGE IN HONG KONG'S DESTINY. OUR
FUTURE IS INEXTRICABLY BOUND UP WITH CHINA. MOST PEOPLE ACCEPT THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION REMAINS THE BEST INDEED THE ONLY, REALISTIC FOUNDATION STONE FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE - A FUTURE AS PART OF CHINA, BUT A DISTINCTIVE PART WITH ITS OWN FREEDOMS, WAY OF LIFE AND FREE MARKET ECONOMY PRESERVED. WE MUST CONTINUE TO BUILD
ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. WORK ON THE BASIC LAW
IS AT PRESENT IN SUSPENCE. IT MUST BE LIKELY THAT THE PROCESS OF CONSULTATION AND PROMULGATION WILL BE PROLONGED TO TAKE ACCOUNT
OF THE RECENT ENFORCED DISRUPTION OF THE ORIGINAL TIMETABLE.
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