TNAG-1991-FCO40-2831-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Nationality-(Hong-Kong)-Selectio-1990 — Page 176

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MDHIAN 2641

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ANLONG LAMENT THE SIZE OF CHINA'S GROWING POPULATION AND THAT

ECTIVELY THE LOSS FROM HONG KONG OF A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO MIGHT WISH TO SETTLE IN THE UK WOULD NOT IN PROPORTION BE SEEN AS A MAJOR DIFFICULTY FOR CHINA. THE PROBLEM WOULD BE IF TOO MANY SKILLED PEOPLE OR PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FOR THE GOOD ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG WERE TO BE SEEN TO BE TAKEN AWAY FROM HONG KONG. THIS WOULD AFFECT HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.

I THOUGHT THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE INCLINED TO TAKE

A PRAGMATIC VIEW OF THE PROBLEM POSED TO THE HONG KONG AUTHORITIES AND THE UK. I REMINDED THE F A C THAT THEY HAD HEARD A CHINESE SPOKESMAN INSIST THAT IT WAS BRITAIN WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR

HONG KONG UNTIL 1997.

5. THAT SAID IT IS HARD TO GIVE CATEGORICAL ADVICE ON THE PRESENT PROPOSALS. AS THE GOVERNOR HAS EARLIER POINTED OUT, THE RELAXED ''IT IS YOUR BUSINESS'' LINE TAKEN BY ZHOU NAN PROBABLY OWES MUCH TO THE CHINESE ASSUMPTION THAT H M G COULD BE RELIED ON TO BLOCK ANY MAJOR CHANGE.

6.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE CHINESE CLEARLY WILL WANT TO AVOID THE PASSPORT AND RIGHT OF ABODE PROBLEM BECOMING THEIR PROBLEM AFTER 1997 AND I WOULD JUDGE THAT THEY OUGHT IN PRINCIPLE TO WELCOME ANY MOVE WHICH WOULD MAKE SUCH A CLEAR CONTRIBUTION TO CONFIDENCE AND STABILITY IN HONG KONG.

7. IT SEEMS THEREFORE THAT THE CHINESE ATTITUDE TO ANY NEW PROPOSAL FASHIONED BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS WILL DEPEND MAINLY ON:

(A) THE NUMBERS INVOLVED. (THEY WOULD BE EXTREMELY AND RIGHTLY SUSPICIOUS IF WE SEEMED TO BE PROVOKING A LARGE EXODUS).

I SUSPECT

(B) THE IMPACT ON THE CONTINUITY OF ADMINISTRATION. MYSELF THEY WOULD BE LESS WORRIED BY THE PROSPECTS OF CIVIL SERVANTS LIVING IN HONG KONG WITH A LINK WITH BRITAIN THAN THEY WOUL PE BY THE BEST CIVIL ADMINISTRATORS DESERTING EN MASSE IN

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(C) _CHNICAL COMPATIBILITY WITH THE JD. THEY WOULD NOT WANT A PRECEDENT SET FOR OUR PLAYING FAST AND LOOSE WITH OTHER JD PROVISIONS, NOT LEAST BECAUSE THEY MIGHT BE EXPOSED TO UNWELCOME PRESSURE FROM THEIR OWN LOBBYISTS TO DO LIKEWISE.

(D) POPULAR REACTION TO THE SCHEME IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE SEEN

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