TNAG-2193-FCO40-3130-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-1990 — Page 161

CONFIDENTIAL

113017

MDHIAN 2464

is int

£cv>

WHO THEY DO NOT RATE HIGHLY MIGHT BE SUCCESSFUL AND KEY EMPLOYEES

MAY FAIL.

4. IF THE DROPPING OF THE UK SECONDMENT SCHEME IS IRREVERSIBLE THEN BRITISH INTERESTS MIGHT BE PROTECTED IN OTHER WAYS. THE GOVERNOR

HAS GIVEN ME PERSONALLY AND FOR MY EYES ONLY A COPY OF THE PAPER HE PUT TO EXCO ON 28 FEBRUARY. THIS AND YOUR TUR PROVIDE MY ONLY SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON THE PACKAGE. FROM HIS PAPER I SEE THAT 50 POINTS OUT OF A TOTAL OF 800 ARE TO BE AWARDED FOR BRITISH LINKS AND THAT OF VARIOUS EXAMPLES GIVEN, SERVICE WITH BRITISH FIRMS IS SHOWN AS THE LAST. FROM THIS I CONCLUDE THAT A KEY EMPLOYEE OF AN IMPORTANT BRITISH COMPANY HERE MIGHT GET SOME FIVE OR TEN POINTS MORE THAN SOMEONE WORKING FOR E.G. AN AMERICAN BANK OR A JAPANESE

TV MANUFACTURER. IN A TOTAL OF 800 POINTS THIS WOULD HAVE VERY LITTLE IMPACT. I WOULD EXPECT BRITISH COMPANIES TO BE VERY CONCERNED AND POSSIBLY ANGRY WHEN THEY DISCOVER THIS TO BE THE CASE. THEY ARGUE THAT IT IS ENTIRELY OPEN TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO SUPPORT THEIR FIRMS AND THEIR OWN NATIONAL COMMERCIAL INTERESTS, AS THE FRENCH TO SOME EXTENT HAVE DONE ALREADY, AND THAT BRITISH PASSPORTS SHOULD BE USED TO SUPPORT BRITISH INTERESTS. I SUGGESTED

TO MR LLOYD THAT ONE WAY IN WHICH COMPANIES MIGHT STILL GET AN

INPUT WOULD BE IF THOSE WHO GET POINTS FOR WORKING WITH A BRITISH FIRM MIGHT THEN BE REQUIRED TO GET A REFERENCE FROM THE HEAD OF THAT FIRM, AND THAT ADDITIONAL BONUS POINTS BE THEN AWARDED IF THAT REFERENCE INDICATES THAT THE APPLICANT IS HIGHLY REGARDED AND OF

CRITICAL IMPORTANCE.

5. I AM EQUALLY CONCERNED THAT WHERE THERE APPEARS TO BE SOME DISCRETION WITHIN THE ALLOCATION SYSTEM (E.G. THE AWARDING OF 150

POINTS FOR ''SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES'' OR THE RESERVATION OF 100 Itay that

PASSPORTS UNDER THE GENERAL ALLOCATION SCHEME FOR HONG KONG Svived? RESIDENTS ''WHO ARE VERY WELL KNOWN' ON THE PERSONAL

RECOMMENDATION OF THE GOVERNOR), THERE APPEARS TO BE NO PROVISION FOR ANY INPUT FROM ANYONE LOOKING AT BRITISH AS OPPOSED TO HONG KONG INTERESTS. AS I HAVE INDICATED PREVIOUSLY, MY CONCERN IS NOT ONLY WITH THE PROTECTION OF BRITISH COMMERCIAL INTERESTS, BUT WITH HONG KONG CITIZENS WHO HAVE DONE A GREAT DEAL FOR THE UK. TO REPEAT EARLIER EXAMPLES FROM THOSE WELL KNOWN TO ME PERSONALLY, CAND I HAVE NO DOUBT THERE ARE MANY OTHERS), T T TSUI, WHO IS IN LONDON

and £40, SIGNING A MAJOR BUS ORDER THIS WEEK, HAS GIVEN POUNDS STERLING 1.25

hi the Sumik

MILLION TO THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, DR PAULINE CHAN OBE Bank Cint~ WHOSE FACTORIES SUPPLY BOOTS AND DIXONS WITH MOST OF THEIR CAMERAS,

HAS ENDOWED TWO FELLOWSHIPS AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY, AND DR HAKING WONG WHO HAS GIVEN POUNDS STERLING 1 MILLION TO A TECHNICAL COLLEGE

2

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL