TNAG-2020-FCO40-2882-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Canada-1990 — Page 51

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MDLIAN 8419

CON WHICH CLARK MADE ANOTHER PLEA FOR HELP). THE IRISH FOREIGN MINISTER HAD BEEN IN OTTAWA AND CANADA APPRECIATED THE GESTURE. THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD LET US HAVE THEIR THINKING ON HOW RELATIONS WITH THE EC MIGHT BE DEVELOPED BEFORE THE DUBLIN MEETING ON 20 FEBRUARY. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID HE WOULD BE VERY PREPARED TO SPEAK UP FOR CANADA ON THAT BASIS. CLARK SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT ANY ARRANGEMENTS WERE REAL AND NOT JUST A FORMALITY. HE

EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN AT THE PROSPECT OF A EC/US TREATY BUT THE SECRETARY OF STATE DISCOUNTED THIS: A TREATY WAS UNLIKELY TO HAPPEN.

SOUTH AFRICA

5. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID HE WAS AWARE THERE WAS SOME DAYLIGHT BETWEEN THE POSITION OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS AND OUTLINED

THE REASONS WHY WE THOUGHT THERE SHOULD BE PRACTICAL ENCOURAGEMENT TO DE KLERK IN THE LIGHT OF THE MEASURES HE HAD TAKEN. WE WERE NOT

LOOKING FOR THE REPEAL OF THE GLENEAGLES AGREEMENT OR TO LIFT

THE ARMS EMBARGO BUT A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH, AS PART OF WHICH WE WOULD BE PRESSING TO LIFT THE BAN ON NEW INVESTMENT. CLARK SAID HE

WAS ANXIOUS NOT TO RE-OPEN QUARRELS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CANADA AND BRITAIN AND THE REST OF THE COMMONWEALTH. CANADA BELIEVED THAT SANCTIONS SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL THE SOUTH AFRICANS HAD ACTUALLY CHANGED THEIR LAWS. CLARK SAID THAT THE COMMONWEALTH COMMITTEE ON SOUTH AFRICA WAS DUE TO MEET IN NIGERIA IN MAY. HE MIGHT

BRING THAT MEETING FORWARD. HE DID NOT THINK HE WOULD BE GOING

TO NAMIBIA FOR THE INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS.

HONG

KONG

6. THE SECRETARY OF STATE EXPRESSED GRATITUDE FOR CANADA'S HELP AT THE GENEVA MEETING AND OUTLINED OUR ATTEMPTS TO GET THE US NOT ACTIVELY TO OPPOSE CONSENSUS BY THE REST OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. HE ASKED CLARK TO LOOK AGAIN AT THE POSSIBILITY OF A SCHEME SIMILAR TO OUR NATIONALITY SCHEME TO KEEP PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. CLARK SAID THIS WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE CANADA

COULD NOT DISCRIMINATE IN FAVOUR OF HONG KONG. THE ISSUE WAS ALSO SENSITIVE DOMESTICALLY. CLARK SAID HE WOULD LOOK AGAIN, IN PARTICULAR TO SEE WHETHER CANADA'S FAMILY REUNIFICATION PROVISIONS

OFFERED ANY WAY OF GIVING PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO COME TO CANADA

WITHOUT IMMEDIATELY REQUIRING THEM TO DO SO. BUT IT WAS FAIRLY

CLEAR THAT HE DID NOT HOLD OUT MUCH HOPE.

CAMBODIA

7. CLARK THOUGHT THAT PROGRESS OVER CAMBODIA COULD BE THE KEY TO US ATTITUDES TO VIETNAM. HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THE LATEST US PAPER PROPOSING A LARGE UN INTERIM PRESENCE IN CAMBODIA. BUT HE STRONGLY

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