SECRET
204
MDHIAN 6460
and C's's Speech!
N
(5) FEARS AND MISTRUST OF FUTURE CHINESE ACTIONS LOOM LARGE. EVEN WITH AN ENTRY CERTIFICATE, HOLDERS OF A BN (0) PASSPORT WILL CLEARLY BE SEEN AS CHINESE NATIONALS UNDER THE CHINESE MEMORANDUM TO THE JD AND HAVE NO/NO CLAIM TO BRITISH CONSULAR PROTECTION IN HONG KONG.
THIS ALONE IS A COMPELLING REASON FOR CASHING IN THEIR OFFER OF POTENTIAL CITIZENSHIP THROUGH SETTLEMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE:
(6) NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROMISES IN THE
JD
MANY LOCAL PEOPLE DO
NOT BELIEVE THAT AFTER 1997 THE CHINESE WILL ALLOW CHINESE NATIONALS TOTAL FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY. THE CPG CONTINUE TO BE NOTORIOUS IN RESTRAINING THEIR OWN NATIONALS FROM LEAVING CHINA, BUT TEND TO TAKE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF ETHNIC CHINESE WITH FOREIGN PASSPORTS:
(7) LOCAL CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW AND FRAGILE. RECENT MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS HAVE TENDED TO BOOST MORALE BY APPEARING TO INDICATE THAT A SCHEME BASED ON CITIZENSHIP WILL BE FORTHCOMING CE.G. THE PRIME MINISTERS REFERENCE TO (QUOTE) PASSPORTS (UNQUOTE) IN SPEAKING TO THE BBC AT KUALA LUMPUR). IF THIS PROVED NOT TO BE THE CASE THERE WOULD BE VERY SERIOUS DISAPPOINTMENT, PARTICULARLY AMONG THE PROFESSIONALS. THIS COULD TRIGGER FURTHER FEARS ABOUT FUTURE CHANGING OF THE RULES, AS IN (4) ABOVE AND LEAD MANY OF THE ABLER PEOPLE TO LEAVE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE:
?
(8) HONG KONG'S EDUCATED AND WEALTHY ARE NOT WITHOUT OPTIONS. IF THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF GAINING FULL CITIZENSHIP WITHOUT LEAVING HONG KONG IN THE U.K. SCHEME IS REMOVED, MOST OF THEM WILL SEEK EMIGRATION TO OTHER MORE POPULAR DESTINATIONS SUCH AS CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR THE U.S.A.
(9) IF ENTRY CERTIFICATES RATHER THAN PASSPORTS ARE TO BE THE BASIS OF THE SCHEME WE WILL FIND THAT, DESPITE HERCULEAN EFFORTS BY ALL CONCERNED, WE WOULD END UP WITH A SECOND CLASS SCHEME UNLIKELY TO COMMAND A REASONABLE MEASURE OF LOCAL SUPPORT. IF WE ARE UNABLE TO SATISFY THE MAJORITY OF HONG KONG PEOPLE IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES TO BE COVERED, THEN WE MUST ENDEAVOUR TO PRODUCE AT LEAST THE BEST FORM OF ASSURANCE THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN. ENTRY CERTIFICATES WILL NOT/NOT DO THE TRICK.
3. WE HAVE ALSO LOOKED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF A MIXED SCHEME (GIVEN THE POSSIBLE PARLIAMENTARY ADVANTAGES OF USING THE EXISTING SECTION 4(5) FOR GOVERNMENT SERVANTS AND RELYING ON ENTRY CERTIFICATES FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR) AND HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THIS WOULD HAVE
PAGE
SECRET
2
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.