TNAG-2181-FCO40-3118-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 177

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· FM CANBERRA

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 066

OF 190415Z JANUARY 90

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INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG

INFO SAVING OTTAWA, TOKYO, WELLINGTON, KUALA LUMPUR

INFO SAVING BANGKOK, SINGAPORE, EC POSTS, OSLO, STOCKHOLM

032317

MDLIAN 1578

MY TELNO 30: HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

·

1 I FOLLOWED UP MY CALL ON THE AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WITH A CALL ON THE PERMANENT SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION (BROWN) THE DEPARTMENT WITH PRIMARY

RESPONSIBILITY

FOR IMMIGRATION MATTERS IN AUSTRALIA.

2. I SPOKE ON SIMILAR LINES TO THAT REPORTED IN TUR. BROWN SAID HE WOULD BRIEF HIS MINISTER (SENATOR RAY) ON THE SUBSTANCE OF MY CALL AND SEEK GUIDANCE FROM HIM ON WHETHER

A) THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS WHEREBY HONG KONG PEOPLE

COULD OBTAIN RESIDENCE VISAS BUT RESIDE IN HONG KONG FOR A FURTHER 7 YEARS WERE SUFFICIENT TO MEET OUR PURPOSES: OR

B) WHETHER A NEW SCHEME WAS POSSIBLE: OR

C) WHETHER THE COMBINATION OF EXISTING COMMITMENTS TO

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, THE LARGE NUMBER OF CHINESE SEEKING RESIDENCE AND OTHERS MADE A FURTHER COMMITMENT UNDESIRABLE.

3. BROWN COMMENTED THAT RAY HAD NOT BEEN UNSYMPATHETIC LAST YEAR WHEN AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES HAD APPROACHED HIM CONCERNING MEASURES TO ENABLE THEM TO RETAIN KEY PERSONNEL IN HONG KONG. BUT THE MINISTER HAD REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS WERE SATISFACTORY TO MEET THAT REQUIREMENT. BROWN SAID THAT BETWEEN NOW AND 1992 AUSTRALIA MIGHT WELL RECEIVE UP TO 200,000 HONG KONGERS WITHOUT ANY NEW SCHEME. THEY WERE NOW THE BIGGEST CATEGORY OF IMMIGRANTS AFTER THE UK CAND EXCLUDING NEW ZEALANDERS WHO DID NOT NEED VISAS). I POINTED OUT THAT THIS INFLOW COULD WELL WORK AGAINST OUR AIM WHICH WAS TO PERSUADE KEY PEOPLE TO STAY. I ALSO EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT IN CONSIDERING WHETHER PRESENT

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B.