TNAG-2178-FCO40-3115-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 213

CONFIDENTIAL

167123 MDLIAN 8178

CONFIDENTIAL

FM SINGAPORE

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 011

OF 05070OZ JANUARY 90

HKP 3401

RECEIVED REGISTRY

24 FEB 1990

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG, PEKING

白の 89/HED 340/8

YOUR TELNO 523 : HONG KONG : INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

1. ACTION TAKEN WITH CHEW TAI SOO (MFA DIRECTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR PACIFIC REGION).

2. CHEW SAID THAT HONG KONG WAS AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC INFLUENCE IN THE REGION AND PATRNER FOR SINGAPORE. HONG KONG'S CONTINUING STABILITY AND PROSPERITY WERE THEREFORE IMPORTANT TO SINGAPORE. THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG CLOSELY (MFA MINISTER OF STATE BG GEORGE YEO IS CURRENTLY IN HONG KONG ON AN UNOFFICIAL VISIT AND PRIME MINISTER LEE KUAN YEW WILL BE VISITING FROM 8-10 JANUARY). BUT HE NOTED THAT YOUR STATEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON 20 DECEMBER HAD PROVOKED A STRONG REACTION FROM THE CHINESE. A REGIONAL STATE SUCH AS SINGAPORE WITH CLOSE TRADITIONAL LINKS TO CHINA COULD NOT AFFORD TO IGNORE CHINESE FEELINGS.

3. HEAD OF CHANCERY ASKED WHETHER THE SINGAPOREANS WERE LIKELY TO CONSIDER ANY FURTHER MEASURES TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENCE SUCH AS BROADENING THE SCOPE OF THEIR CURRENT PROVISIONS CONCERNING IMMIGRATION FROM HONG KONG. CHEW SAID THAT IT WAS TOO EARLY TO SAY. PRESSED ON WHETHER THERE WERE ANY OTHER WAYS IN WHICH SINGAPORE MIGHT HELP CHEW SAID THAT THE BEST THING THAT SINGAPORE COULD DO WOULD BE TO MAINTAIN A THRIVING TRADE RELATIONSHIP AND LINKS BETWEEN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

COMMENT

4. CHEW WAS TYPICALLY UNFORTHCOMING. DESPITE THE TRADITIONAL RIVALRY BETWEEN HONG KONG AND SINGAPORE, THE SINGAPOREANS ACCEPT THAT A DECLINE IN HONG KONG'S EC ONOMIC FORTUNES WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT SINGAPORE. BUT THEY WILL NOT GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO HELP HONG KONG IF THIS WOULD RESULT IN DAMAGE TO SINO-SINGAPOREAN RELATIONS.

CURRAN

1

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