CONFIDENTIAL
000611 MDHIAN 1812
CONFIDENTIAL
FM CANBERRA
TO DESKBY 1002007 FCO
TELNO 30
OF 10043OZ JANUARY 90
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG INFO PRIORITY OTTAWA, TOKYO, WELLINGTON INFO PRIORITY SINGAPORE, EC POSTS, OSLO
HICA 300/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 4 FEB 1990
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
PA
Action faker,
INDEX KUALA LUMPUR, BANGKOK STOCKHOLM
YOUR TELNO 2364: HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
SUMMARY
64:
(788)89 HKD Burs
1. AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PROMISES THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WILL CONSIDER OUR REQUEST THAT ARRANGEMENTS BE DEVISED TO GIVE SOME HONG KONG PEOPLE THE ASSURANCE OF RIGHT OF ABODE IN AUSTRALIA.
DETAIL
2. HAVING SENT A COPY OF YOUR STATEMENT OF 20 DECEMBER TO
THE AUSTRALIANS BEFORE CHRISTMAS I CALLED TODAY ON THE AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WHO RETURNED FROM HOLIDAY THIS WEEK.
3. I SPOKE AS INSTRUCTED IN PARA. 3 OF YOUR T.U.R. (WITHOUT NEEDING TO USE THE DEFENSIVE POINT) AND LEFT
EVANS A COPY OF MY SPEAKING NOTES.
4. ON THE KEY POINT I SAID THAT I WAS INSTRUCTED TO ASK THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT, AS WE WERE ASKING A WIDE RANGE OF OTHER FRIENDLY GOVERNMENTS, TO FIND A WAY OF GIVING SOME HONG KONG PEOPLE THE ASSURANCE OF RIGHT OF ABODE IN AUSTRALIA WITHOUT REQUIRING THEM TO LEAVE HONG KONG IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THAT RIGHT.
5. EVANS SAID THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD CERTAINLY CONSIDER THIS, THOUGH HE WAS NOT SAYING NOW EITHER THAT THEY WOULD OR WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE PROPOSITION. AUSTRALIA WAS AT PRESENT CONDUCTING AN INTERNAL REVIEW OF ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH HONG KONG AND A PAPER WOULD PROBABLY GO TO CABINET BY THE END OF FEBRUARY. OUR REQUEST WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THAT CONTEXT. WE WOULD RECEIVE A CONSIDERED RESPONSE IN DUE COURSE. I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT THERE WERE SENSITIVITIES STEMMING FROM THE NATURE OF AUSTRALIA'S
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.