TNAG-2178-FCO40-3115-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 70

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From: Minister

Date: 16 January 1990

Mr McLaren, AUSS, FCO

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W G Ehrman Esq, Political

Adviser, Hong Kong

HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

1.

FCO telno 87 of 12 January arrived just before I saw M. Martin and M. Lacombe, the Asia Director at the Quai d'Orsay and his Deputy, respectively, on Saturday 13 January. The instruction is to Heads of Mission to approach their host governments at senior level (preferably Ministerial) to reinforce the lobbying action already taken at working level. I therefore took action with Martin and Lacombe: mainly the latter since Martin was summoned by Dumas on Cambodian affairs. I referred to your discussion with M. Andrieu (Paris telno 1698); emphasised the great importance that. Ministers attached to the problem of bolstering confidence in Hong Kong through measures designed to give Hong Kong people the confidence to remain in the territory. I drew attention to the international aspects of the problem and asked how the French were getting on with the measures which Andrieu had outlined to you.

2. In response Lacombe went over the same ground as Andrieu with you.

He traced the French measures back to Rausch's visit to Hong Kong last year. He said that about 80 cases were being examined under the first category of measure, viz naturalisation. But the qualifications were strict (a real link with France; need to speak French etc) and the process time consuming. As to the second type of measure (the laissez-paisser procedure) Lacombe said that the list would be drawn up on the basis of requests put in and information provided by the French businesses in Hong Kong, and would be examined by the French Consulate-General. The Quai had it in mind to send out a diplomat from the Consular Services to Hong Kong to assist in administering the scheme to prevent it being compromised by corruption. The figure Lacombe put on the scheme was 1,500 persons maximum, ie about 250 households. This is fewer than Andrieu said to you, but Lacombe made clear that his figures were only a broad guess at this stage.

3.

He concluded that Rausch's visit and his explanations of the French approach to French business in Hong Kong had had the effect of reducing the worries felt by the business community and calming them down.

4. I should like to discuss with you further action There are various occasions coming up on which the Ambassador and I will be able to mention Hong Kong to senior officials (the Secretary- General at the Quai d'Orsay, for example). But we need to be clear in making any further pitch what it is that we could reasonably ask the French to do over and above what they are already doing.

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M J Llewellyn Smith

16 January 1990

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