TNAG-2020-FCO40-2882-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Canada-1990 — Page 77

11

1 FEBRUARY

HONG KONG

BACKGROUND

CONFIDENTIAL

References: A. Ottawa Telno 857.

B.

Ottawa Telno 031.

C. Mr Gillmore's minute to Burns of 29 January.

1. The Canadians have traditionally taken a large number of immigrants from Hong Kong. Of the 45,000 who emigrated from Hong Kong last year, 24,000 went to Canada.

The Canadians are concerned

that large numbers of Hong Kong people might flee to China (claiming ties with relations) if the situation in Hong Kong seriously deteriorated. Partly for this reason, the Canadians have been giving detailed consideration to ways of bolstering Hong Kong's international position. They have set up an inter-departmental committee to examine specific ways in which Canada could help to promote confidence in Hong Kong.

2.

2

On the nationality issue, however Canadian officials do not hold out any early hope of being able to introduce comparable measures to our own. T have pointed out that if existing nationality legislation ✔ re modified to enable Hong Kong people to acquire citizenship without completing the normal residence requirement, this would run counter to the principle of universality of application on which Canadian nationality legislation is based and by appearing to favour one class of potential citizens over another could expose the Government to legal challenge.

3.

Nevertheless Canadian officials have suggested that there might be some flexibility in Canadian immigration rules which could be exploited, eg in relation to the period between acquiring landed status and full citizenship.

DAWACI (3)

CONFIDENTIAL