TNAG-1880-FCO40-2671-Student-demonstrations-and-internal-political-situation-in-C-1989 — Page 67

CODE 18-77

WOZARL

Haswell

Mr Haswell o.r.

170

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference..

Minute to

Celia Dale

de

HKBO 20

20/14

18 JUL 1989

per de 19/7

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: CABLE AND WIRELESS

1.

Mr Leigh Lewis, Director of Personnel of the Cable and Wireless Group, called on the department on 23 June principally to discuss emigration from Hong Kong and nationality. He also raised the question of Vietnamese boat people. He said that resentment that Hong Kong was being left to fend for itself was rubbing off on companies that were perceived as British companies (although the Hong Kong companies within the Cable and Wireless Group were always presented as Hong Kong companies). Partly for presentational reasons, Cable and Wireless wanted to do what they could to help.

2. Cable and Wireless would be prepared, for example, to offer six to eight training places in the UK to Vietnamese boat people from Hong Kong. These trainees would then be given jobs by Cable and Wireless in the UK or could return to Hong Kong.

3. Miss Marsden explained that the UK had offered to take 2,000 Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong over the next two years. There might be scope for Cable and Wireless to sponsor some of those refugees. But he would need to discuss this with those directly responsible for arranging training facilities for Vietnamese refugees. Mr Lewis stressed that the offer was meant very seriously and that he would like to pursue the matter at a suitably senior level.

4. We undertook to pass on this request. to pursue this with the Home Office?

£ July 1989

Could I leave it with you

etwaw

C T Wood

Hong Kong Department WH304

270 2655

CC:

Mr McLaren

Mr Paul

Miss Marsden

Mr Godson, SEAD

CONFIDENTIAL