Carrington once said, for our relations to be conducted through megaphone diplomacy. That is why we are keen to return to rational discussion through private exchanges. The fact is that there are many issues related to our joint responsibility for Hong Kong which must be discussed. That is why we have been seeking to maintain a dialogue at various levels through the work of the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group and through the recent visits to Peking by Sir Percy Cradock and the Governor of Hong Kong.
As
As my Rt Hon Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear during his recent visit to Hong Kong, there is no question of the Government simply sitting back and letting the clock tick on towards 1997. we have already demonstrated by the announcement of our citizenship scheme, we have not flinched from taking difficult decisions when
these are necessary.
Over 40,000 people emigrated from Hong Kong last year, many of them key professional and business people. This year the figure is expected to be at least 55,000. Continued emigration on this scale would threaten the competitiveness of Hong Kong's economy and the efficiency of its public service. Without the package of measures which we are offering, more people would make up their minds to emigrate. That is something we must try to prevent not only because we have a duty to Hong Kong, but also because if confidence in the territory collapsed completely, we could then be faced with a much more serious problem.
We hope that other countries will now follow our lead in offering similar assurances to Hong Kong. Of course Hong Kong is a British reponsibility. But it is also an international financial and trading centre and its major trading partners have a strong interest
Some countries have in its continuing stability and prosperity.
already found ways to give Hong Kong people assurances without their
This is welcome. We have been taking having to leave Hong Kong.
every appropriate opportunity to encourage others to take comparable measures and we will continue to do so.
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