RESTRICTED
A.
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153226 MDLIAN 6950
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FM COPENHAGEN
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 433
OF 28151OZ DECEMBER 89
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG
YOUR TELNOS 2364 AND 2365 TO WASHINGTON: HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL
SUPPORT
SUMMARY
788 789tter 340/8/89
1. DENMARK IS NOT (NOT) PREPARED TO GRANT CITIZENSHIP TO HONG KONG RESIDENTS IN ADVANCE OF THEIR COMING TO DENMARK. POSSIBILITY, ALBEIT FAINT, THAT SHE WILL BE PREPARED TO GRANT RESIDENCE PERMITS.
DETAIL
2. WE DELIVERED A COPY OF YOUR 20 DECEMBER STATEMENT TO THE HOUSE TO THE MFA LAST FRIDAY (22 DECEMBER). I CALLED TODAY (28 DECEMBER) ON THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG AND MADE THE
POINTS IN THE FIRST T.U.R.
3. MUNK RASMUSSEN, WHO HAD CLEARLY STUDIED YOUR STATEMENT, SAID DENMARK RECOGNISED THE NEED TO BOLSTER CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. ONE WAY TO DO THIS WAS FOR OVERSEAS COMPANIES WITH REPRESENTATION IN HONG KONG TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THEIR EMPLOYEES THAT THEY DID NOT INTEND TO
PULL OUT: DANISH FIRMS WERE SAYING JUST THAT.
4. BUT HE WENT ON TO SAY IT WOULD NOT (NOT) BE POSSIBLE FOR DENMARK TO PROMISE CITIZENSHIP TO HONG KONG RESIDENTS IN ADVANCE OF THEIR COMING TO DENMARK. DENMARK HAD A WELL-ESTABLISHED AND ELABORATE SYSTEM FOR DEALING WITH REFUGEES. THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE ADHERED TO: THE WHOLE QUESTION OF DEALING WITH REFUGEES WAS DOMESTICALLY VERY SENSITIVE AND THE SYSTEM COULD NOT BE CHANGED. I POINTED OUT THAT THE OBJECT OF THE EXERCISE WAS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STAY IN HONG KONG. YOU HAD MADE IT CLEAR, MONK RASMUSSEN ACKNOWLEDGED, THAT THE UK SCHEME WAS AN EXCEPTION TO MEET THE UNIQUE SITUATION IN HONG KONG. COULD DENMARK NOT MAKE A SIMILAR EXCEPTION? MUNK RASMUSSEN WAS ADAMANT THIS COULD NOT BE DONE. THE ISSUE HAD BEEN CONSIDERED THOROUGHLY AFTER OUR PREVIOUS DEMARCHE (OUR TELNO 356).
5. I SUGGESTED THAT OTHER OPTIONS MIGHT BE CONSIDERED. MUNK RASMUSSEN ADMITTED THAT AS A RESULT OF THE EARLIER DEMARCHE OFFICIALS WERE
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