TNAG-2159-FCO40-3079-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-Chinese-views-1990 — Page 78

1905Z

(d)

- 2

sector. Why? Simply because the UK does not need more Asian civil servants; what it needs

are people with wealth and professional expertise.

Elites in the private sector are the main beneficiaries because

-

(i) from the economic point of view, an opportune absorption of talents and investment from Hong Kong is likely to help UK overcome its economic problems;

(ii) given that

that the UK is not the

the most favourite emigration country of Hong Kong people and that major emigration countries have already cashed in on the Hong Kong brain drain for some time, the UK sees it as a matter of urgency to join the scramble; and

to

(iii) politically, such elites are the pillars of Hong Kong. The grant of UK passports to such people will constitute an immense pressure on the Chinese side, which in order to retain such people, needs seriously consider the wishes and demand of such people. The UKG can also influence such people through various means in order to reflect and defend British interests in Hong Kong; and this means bolstering up the UKG's leverage vis-a-vis the Chinese Government.

ང་ང་ང་ངངནཁུ ར ན༩ང {vv¢ ! *{¢2»2" TE, is, 6,