CONFIDENTIAL
FM THE HAGUE
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 004
OF 04095OZ JANUARY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
164443
MDLIAN 7943
TOPLOOPY
RECELLED REGISTRY
24 FEB 1990
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
ހ
788 94 Hr 34018
YOUR TELNO 2364 TO WASHINGTON: HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
SUMMARY
1. THE DUTCH WILL GIVE FURTHER THOUGHT TO WHAT THEY CAN DO BUT ARE NOT ENCOURAGING.
DETAIL
2. I SPOKE TO MARCHIE DU SARVAAS (DIRECTOR ASIA AND OCEANIA, MFA) TODAY (3 JANUARY) MAKING THE POINTS IN TUR.
3. MARCHIE DU SARVAAS SAID THAT FOLLOWING THE APPROACHES WHICH WE HAD MADE TO THE MFA LAST YEAR THE DUTCH HAD GIVEN VERY CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO WHAT THEY COULD DO TO HELP TO REASSURE THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY. DUTCH NATIONALITY LAW DID NOT MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO CONFER CITIZENSHIP ON THOSE WHO HAD NOT SATISFIED A RESIDENTIAL REQUIREMENT IN THE NETHERLANDS.
1
4. I ASKED WHETHER ANYTHING COULD BE DONE TO WAIVE OR SHORTEN THIS. HE REPLIED THAT THERE WERE NO PROVISIONS TO DO SO. WE THEN DISCUSSED WHETHER THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT COULD NOT MAKE COMMITMENTS THAT IN THE CASE OF CERTAIN EVENTUALITIES EMPLOYEES OF DUTCH COMPANIES WOULD BE ADMITTED TO THE NETHERLANDS IN THE FUTURE ALLOWING THEM TO QUALIFY FOR CITIZENSHIP BY RESIDENCE. MARCHIE DU SERVAAS SAID THAT HE WOULD ASK WHETHER THIS COULD BE DONE. IN THE EVENT OF FUTURE PROBLEMS LEADING PERSONS TO LEAVE HONG KONG, THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT WOULD PROBABLY AGREE TO PLAY A PART IN OFFERING THEM HELP BUT HE WAS NOT CONFIDENT THAT DUTCH MINISTERS WOULD WISH TO MAKE ADVANCE COMMITMENTS ABOUT IMMIGRATION, EVEN FOR LIMITED NUMBERS.
5. I STRESSED THAT WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR WAS AN NETWORK OF REASSURANCE TO ENCOURAGE THE CLIMATE OF CONFIDENCE IN WHICH KEY PEOPLE WOULD COMMIT THEMSELVES TO REMAINING IN HONG KONG. MARCHIE DU SARVAAS WONDERED WHETHER ANY MORE COULD BE DONE IN DIFFERENT WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO CONFIDENCE. THE HONG KONG/NETHERLANDS CIVIL AVIATION AGREEMENT HAD BEEN DELIBERATELY DRAWN UP TO EXTEND BEYOND 1997. IF HONG KONG HAD ANY IDEAS FOR OTHER ARRANGEMENTS OF LONG DURATION, THE NETHERLANDS MIGHT CONSIDER ENTERING INTO FURTHER COMMITMENTS. HE ALSO HOPED THAT DUTCH FIRMS WOULD COMMIT THEMSELVES TO PROJECTS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE. I COMMENTED THAT ANY SUCH COMMITMENTS WOULD INCREASE THE CASE FOR THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT LOOKING AGAIN AT WHAT THEY COULD
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.