TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 295

UNCLASSIFIED

15746

/ MDLIAN 1112

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 1585

OF 150945Z MAY 90

[HK6301/1

2. 1990

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

f fuels.

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.

NATIONALITY

2. CHINA WAS STUDYING WHAT MEASURES TO TAKE TO COUNTER THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE, INCLUDING HOW TO DISTINGUISH PEOPLE WHO GOT PASSPORTS UNDER THE PLAN FROM OTHER HOLDERS OF FULL BRITISH PASSPORTS, THE SCM POST (15.5) REPORTED IN ITS FRONT PAGE. QUOTING A CHINESE OFFICIAL, THE PAPER SAID THAT THE AUTHORITIES WERE STILL STUDYING THE ISSUE AND THAT IT WAS TOO EARLY TO SAY WHAT THE MEASURES WOULD BE. HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT ONE MAJOR AREA OF STUDY WAS THE IMPACT OF THE NATIONALITY PLAN ON THE CIVIL SERVICE. THE OFFICIAL RULED OUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT BENEFICIARIES OF THE PLAN WOULD BE DENIED THE RIGHT OF PERMANENT RESIDENCY IN THE SAR, ADDING THAT THEY WERE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES.

3. ASKED TO COMMENT ON REPORTS THAT CHINA WOULD NOT RECOGNISE THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE AS PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF HONG KONG, DAME LYDIA DUNN SAID THAT HONG KONG'S SUCCESS WAS BUILT ON THE FACT THAT IT WELCOMED ANY PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY REGARDLESS OF THEIR NATIONALITIES, THE MEDIA (10.5) REPORTED. SHE SAID THAT THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE WAS CRUCIAL TO STEMMING THE BRAIN DRAIN AND ENHANCING HONG KONG'S STABILITY. SHE HOPED THAT WHEN THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES SAW ITS SCHEME, THEY WOULD ACCEPT THAT IT WAS IN HONG KONG AS WELL AS CHINA'S INTERESTS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE PERSUADED TO STAY. IF NEW PROPOSED LEGISLATION WAS PASSED BY THE U.S. CONGRESS, SOME 3,000 LOCAL EMPLOYEES OF U.S. MULTI-NATIONAL FIRMS IN HONG KONG WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR SPECIAL IMMIGRATION TO THE U.S., THE SCM POST (15.5) REPORTED IN ITS FRONT PAGE.

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