TNAG-2020-FCO40-2882-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Canada-1990 — Page 27

BACKGROUND

CONFIDENTIAL

References:

A

Ottawa telno 603 about the Hong Kong

Economic and Trade Office in Toronto.

B Ottawa telno 334 reporting Governor of Hong

Kong's visit to Canada in May.

C Hong Kong telno 2717 reporting the visit to

Hong Kong in September by the Canadian Minister for Immigration.

Canadian Relations with Hong Kong

1.

The Canadians have traditionally taken a large number of immigrants from Hong Kong. Since 1960, over 225,000 Hong Kong people have emigrated to Canada. since 1987 Hong Kong has been the largest source of immigrants to Canada, many of them investors and entrepreneurs: of the 45,000 people who emigrated from Hong Kong last year, 24,000 went to Canada.

The Canadian community in Hong Kong, which now exceeds

30,000, is also the largest Canadian community in Asia.

2. Canada also has close economic and trade links with Hong

Kong. In 1989, Canada ranked sixth among Hong Kong's export

markets. Two way trade amounted to nearly £1.5 billion.

Canadian exports have increased in value by over 20% in each

of the last 3 years. The Canadian financial community have estimated that the flow of immigrant-related investment to

Canada since 1987 is between Canadian £1.5-2.5 billion

annually.

3. The Canadians recognise that they have a strong interest in the continued stability and prosperity of Hong Kong not only because of their economic stake in the territory but also because of concern that large numbers of Hong Kong people might flee to Canada (claiming ties with relations)

if the situation in Hong Kong deteriorated. For these

reasons, the Canadians have been giving detailed

MTHASE/2

CONFIDENTIAL