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more than a moral duty to speak one's mind. It becomes a pleasure”.
to leave Hong Kong and spend several years abroad. that the nationality package which was More Christams will gO STRE towards alleviating the problems of enigration and I emphasise that the objective of the package is for the Hong Kong recipients to remain in Hong Kong.
I should like to refer noble Lords specifically to one key part of the Government Statement made in your Lordships' House and in another place on 20th December last which has been virtually lost sight of in the welter of emotion-much of it, I fear, ill-informed-which has followed. Here I quote: "within the total numbers I have given, the Government propose to introduce a special measure designed to help companies and institutions in Hong Kong to retain their key personnel... The companies and institutions concerned would arrange secondments of key personnel for work or training in the United Kingdom for relatively short periods of time, thereby minimising any disruption to their work in Hong Kong."--[Offical Report, 20/12/89; col. 281.]
It is clear that under this part of the package those concerned, having come to the United Kingdom for a period of secondment to work for a British company, will then have to return to Hong Kong for a much longer period before they can acquire the right of residence here. I welcome the targeting of the scheme at key workers whose presence is vital to Hong Kong. I know that it is not the Government's intention to give citizenship to a wealthy élite, and I hope that the legislation will make that clear.
I know that the scheme has been criticised as divisive but in my experience Hong Kong people are not jealous of their neighbours. They do not begrudge them success or good fortune. Rather they aspire to emulate them. Indeed when I visited Hong Kong a few weeks ago no one was opposed to the package on the grounds that it would cause jealousy or resentment. Their disappointment was that only 50,000 heads of household would benefit and not
more.
I should like to end on an optimistic note. I believe that Hong Kong will weather this storm, that China's economic self-interest will prevail and that Hong Kong's success will continue long after it becomes a Special Administrative Region. that belief has been strengthened during my recent discussions with the CITIC, an external agency of the People's Republic of China, about the acquisition of a significant stake in Hong Kong Telecom. Here is China wanting to invest billions of Hong Kong dollars of hard currency in a Hong Kong company. That investment will bear fruit only if Hong Kong's capitalist system and way of life are maintained. I believe that this is a sure sign of China's long-term good intentions.
Boileau, the eminent French philosopher, said: That which is accurately conceived is accurately expressed. I hope that your Lordships will extend to me your sympathetic understanding if, on this special occasion, I have strayed from that splendid maxim. I should be grateful to your Lordships for your indulgence in accepting my speech as non-controversial, even if I have tested the limits of that indulgence. I confess that I look forward to the freedom of future opportunities to address your Lordships in a less restrained manner, recognising as Lady Bracknell said: “On these occasions it becomes
6.22 p.m.
Lord Geddes: My Lords, it is a considerable honour to be the first to follow my noble friend Lord Sharp of Grimsdyke. He has spoken not only with great lucidity but also from a very real depth of knowledge regarding Hong Kong. He happens to share with one of my forebears the illustrious name of Eric, though I must say I hope that any axe which he may have (dare I say it?) is not as sharp. He shares with me the wonderfully therapeutic recreations of music and gardening. On behalf of the whole House I congratulate him most sincerely on his excellent maiden speech and hope that we shall hear him often in the future.
In thanking the noble Lord, Lord Bonham-Carter, for introducing this timely debate on Hong Kong, perhaps I may also say how very sorry I am that the noble Lord, Lord MacLehose of Beoch, is not able to be in his place this evening. I hope that it is in order on behalf of all your Lordships to wish the noble Lord a speedy and successful recovery from his operation.
The joint declaration of 1984 is,
"a formal international agreement, legally binding in all its parts". It represents,
"the highest form of commitment between two sovereign states". Paragraph 4 of that agreement states that during the transitional period leading up to the restoration of Hong Kong to China on 1st July 1997 (for the third time I quote),
"the Government of the United Kingdom will be responsible for the administration of Hong Kong with the object of maintaining and preserving its economic prosperity and social stability".
This evening I propose to outline to your Lordships the only way in which I and, I believe, many others suggest that the United Kingdom can acquit itself of those responsibilities. I should like to begin by repeating what I first said to your Lordships on 21st May 1984:
"Hong Kong has one, and really only one, resource-its people. Without them and their confidence in the system, Hong Kong basically is nothing”.—[Official Report, 21/5/84; col. 112.]
In order to hand over to China a Hong Kong which bears some resemblance to the territory for which it negotiated in 1984, Hong Kong's main resource must be intact: its people must still be there.
Even before the events in China of June last year the people of Hong Kong were understandably nervous. But now there is a genuine and, I would say, wholly justifiable fear for their future. The recent events in Eastern Europe, particularly Romania, if anything should increase our concern for the people of Hong Kong. The demonstraton in Hong Kong on New Year's Day this year which called for the downfall of Ceausescu's China highlighted the parallels only too clearly, and the extent to which it has drawn China's ire shows what a sensitive spot it hit with that country's leaders.
The Chinese will not relax their vigilance to search for and stamp out popular movements for democracy; quite the reverse. Martial law may have been lifted but the new PRC envoy to Hong kong,
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