TNAG-2178-FCO40-3115-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 174

CONFIDENTIAL

14

020701

MDHIAN 2655

CONFIDENTIAL

FM ROME

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 32

OF 161115Z JANUARY 90

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, WASHINGTON

13)

TO Q

COPY

HKD 3401\

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 2 4 FEB 1990

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

YOUR TELNO 87 TO WASHINGTON: HONG KONG: İNTERN

·

FUPPOF

1 I TOOK ACTION LAST NIGHT WITH THE ITALIAN POLITICAL DIRECTOR, PERLOT. THE HEAD OF THE MFA ASIA DEPARTMENT, FERRI, WHO ACCOMPANIED FOREIGN MINISTER DE MICHELIS TO VIETNAM AND HONG KONG OVER

CHRISTMAS, WAS ALSO PRESENT. WOOD CAME WITH ME.

2. I BEGAN BY SAYING THAT I WAS UNDER INSTRUCTIONS TO SEE A

MINISTER, SO I HOPED THAT PERLOT COULD PRESS MY REQUEST FOR A FIRST CALL ON DE MICHELIS. THE MAINTENANCE OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG WAS A MOST DIFFICULT AND DELICATE PROBLEM AND WE HOPED THE ITALIANS COULD HELP US MANAGE IT. BRITISH MINISTERS ATTACHED

CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE TO RECEIVING A POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM

PARTNERS AND ALLIES. I DREW ATTENTION TO YOUR STATEMENT IN THE

HOUSE OF COMMONS ON 20 DECEMBER: ALTHOUGH HONG KONG WAS A BRITISH RESPONSIBILITY, HER MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS SHOULD ALSO HAVE A STRONG INTEREST IN HER CONTINUING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. INDEED

THIS WAS A STRONG WESTERN INTEREST IN SOUTH EAST ASIA. PERLOT CONFIRMED THAT THE TEXT OF YOUR STATEMENT, WHICH WE GAVE TO FERRI BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HAD PROVIDED VALUABLE BACKGROUND FOR DE MICHELIS DURING HIS OWN VISIT TO HONG KONG.

3. AFTER SUMMARISING THE MAIN POINTS IN THE BRITISH APPROACH, I ASKED WHETHER THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT COULD NOW URGENTLY EXAMINE THE SCOPE FOR SIMILAR CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES, IN PARTICULAR GIVING AS MANY HONG KONG CITIZENS AS POSSIBLE THE ASSURANCE OF

RIGHT OF ABODE IN ITALY. ALTHOUGH SUCH A RIGHT MIGHT NEVER BE EXERCISED, THE OFFER COULD PLAY A MAJOR PART IN ENCOURAGING KEY PEOPLE TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG AND CONTINUING TO WORK FOR ITS FUTURE

POST-1997.

4. PERLOT SAID THAT HE WELL UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEM. HE WAS NOT AN

EXPERT IN THE PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE GRANT OF CITIZENSHIP OR SOME LESSER STATUS, AS APPROPRIATE, BUT BELIEVED THAT THE RULES WERE RATHER STRICT. FERRI INTERVENED TO SAY THAT THE POINT HAD ALREADY

ARISEN IN DISCUSSION BETWEEN DE MICHELIS AND THE ITALIAN CONSUL-

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