UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2570
OF 211009Z AUGUST 90
UNCLASSIFIED
HKB 301
RECEIVE
2 3 AUG 1990
59
104656
MDLIAN 4584
TOP COPY Q DIST? (24/
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
p.a.
21/8
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA UKMIS GENEVA –
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP
SUMMARY
1. THERE WAS LITTLE REPORTING ON NEWS RELATING TO THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW BECAUSE OF THE GULF CRISIS.
NATIONALITY
2. GOVERNMENT SOURCES SAID THAT THE TOP LEVEL OF THE ADMINISTRATION WAS CONFIDENT THAT A GOOD NUMBER OF SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WOULD NOT APPLY FOR THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK AND HAD DECIDED TO REMAIN HERE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AFTER 1997, THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (17.8) REPORTED. THE SOURCES INDICATED THAT THESE SENIOR OFFICIALS INCLUDED THE CREAM AT THE TOP RANKS OF THE GOVERNMENT.
3. IN VIEW OF THE JD STIPULATION THAT SECRETARY-LEVEL POSTS IN THE SARG MUST BE FILLED BY HK CHINESE RESIDENTS, THE GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO ARRANGE FOR SOME LOCAL OFFICIALS WHO DID NOT HOLD FOREIGN PASSPORTS TO GRADUALLY ASSUME KEY POSTS BETWEEN 1993 AND 1995. SINCE APPOINTMENTS TO THESE POSTS MUST BE APPROVED BY PEKING, THE BRITISH WOULD NOT RECOMMEND OFFICIALS WHO WERE BENEFICIARIES OF THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE TO CONTINUE TO HOLD THESE POSTS AFTER 1997. THE SOURCES SAID THAT SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT COULD NOT BE CARRIED OUT TOO EARLY FOR FEAR THAT PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL THAT THE CHINESE WERE INTERFERING WITH HK AFFAIRS.
4. FOUR VISITING LABOUR MPS MET OFFICIALS OF THE NCNA HK BRANCH, A FEW PAPERS (16.8) REPORTED. SPEAKING AFTER THE MEETING, LABOUR'S SPOKESMAN ON HOME AFFAIRS, ALISTAIR DARLING, SAID THEY HAD DISCUSSED ISSUES OF MUTUAL CONCERN DURING THE MEETING BUT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS NOTHING NEW IN WHAT THE CHINESE OFFICIALS HAD SAID. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (16.8) SAID NCNA DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN
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