TNAG-1887-FCO40-2679-Overseas-visits-by-Sir-David-Wilson--Governor-of-Hong-Kong---1990 — Page 27

39

it may increase further. But there are limits to this,

limits imposed by the immigration quotas of countries like

the U.S.A.

Clearly, I do not welcome the fact of these

departures. Equally clearly the Hong Kong Government will

not attempt to stop the outflow. We value our freedoms.

One of these is the freedom to come and go from Hong Kong

at will. What we must do instead is to make sure that no

difficulties are placed in the way of those who want to

come back after they have secured their insurance. We must

also, in cooperation with the private sector, find ways of

managing the problem.

The description "brain drain" is all too apt. Not

all who go are graduates, but certainly a disproportionate

number are young professional families. We are therefore

looking for ways to compensate. Just last week I announced

that we will more than double the number of first degree

places, from 7% to 18% of the relevant age group between

now and 1995. There will be a similar increase in the

number or places in technical training centres. We will

also look to our own immigration policies. These must be

more flexible, so that firms which fail to find suitably

qualified staff in Hong Kong, will be able to bring them in

from overseas. The problem is a management problem.

However difficult, it is also a manageable one.