TNAG-2178-FCO40-3115-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 12

CONFIDENTIAL

023235

MDLIAN 3192

AGAIN IN THE CANADIAN COURT: YOU HAD RAISED THE MATTER WITH CLARK, WHO HAD SAID THAT HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND WE HAD COFFICIALLY) HEARD NOTHING SINCE. THE PCO UNDERTOOK TO DO WHAT THEY COULD BY WAY OF DAMAGE LIMITATION. PERRON (ACTING ASSISTANT DEPUTY MINISTER, ASIA AND PACIFIC BRANCH, DEA) SAID THAT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAD BEEN SWAMPED BY ENQUIRIES FROM CANADIAN JOURNALISTS. THE DEA SPOKESMAN HAD SIMPLY REITERATED CURRENT CANADIAN FOREIGN POLICY AS DESCRIBED RECENTLY BY MR CLARK TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE, MAKING THE POINT THAT GRANTING HONG KONG CITIZENS THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN CANADA IN THE WAY

ENVISAGED WAS SIMPLY NOT POSSIBLE UNDER EXISTING CANADIAN LEGISLATION. THE PRESS HAD BEEN SELECTIVE IN THEIR REPORTING. ANOTHER OFFICIAL TOLD US THAT THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT

HAD HAD HIS KNUCKLES RAPPED FOR STEPPING OUT OF LINE.

5. IN SHORT, THE ARTICLES IN THE LONDON PRESS HAVE PROMPTED A REACTION WHICH CAN ONLY MAKE LIFE HARDER FOR US. BUT THE PROSPECTS, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM, WERE NOT VERY GOOD ANYWAY: CLARK'S VERY CAUTIOUS REACTION WHEN YOU SPOKE TO HIM WAS A BETTER REFLECTION OF THE UNDERLYING POSITION HERE THAN MULRONEY'S.

FALL

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

74

DISTRIBUTION

84

.HK AGREEMENT

LIMITED

HKD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNERS

HD/CONSULAR D

NEWS D

NAD

PUSD

PS

PS/MR MAUDE

PS/LORD BRABAZON

PS/PUS

MR P J WESTON

MR GILLMORE

SIR A WATTS

MR MCLAREN

MR MOSS

MR BLATHERWICK

ADDITIONAL

HK AGREEMENT

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CONFIDENTIAL