TNAG-2275-FCO40-3274-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 68

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126712 MDLIAN 3011

SAID THAT OMELCO MEMBERS HAD NEVER SPECULATED ON HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD APPLY FOR THE PACKAGE, AND THAT IT WAS OMELCO MEMBERS' RESPONSIBILITY TO FIGHT FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE'S RIGHTS. IT WOULD BE UP TO THE PEOPLE TO EXERCISE THESE RIGHTS. LEGCO MEMBER MARTIN LEE SAID THAT THE MAIN REASON FOR THE COOL RESPONSE WAS THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT RECOGNISE THE BRITISH PASSPORTS GRANTED UNDER THE PACKAGE. LU PING SAID THAT CHINA HAD ALREADY INDICATED THAT BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS WOULD NOT BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. SPOKESMAN FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE SAVING HONG KONG, THE REVEREND LO LUNG-KWONG SAID THAT THE 'ELITIST' PACKAGE HAD DETERRED ORDINARY PEOPLE FROM APPLYING AND THAT THE SCHEME HAD NOT ACHIEVED THE AIM OF MAINTAINING CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. LOCAL CURRENT AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR LO CHI-KIN SAID THAT THE POOR RESPONSE DID NOT MEAN THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE HAD BEEN RESTORED. A LEADER OF THE NOW DISSOLVED HONOUR HONG KONG CAMPAIGN, SIMON MURAY, SAID THAT THE LOW RESPONSE WAS PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE'S MISCONCEPTION THAT BRITISH PASSPORTS WERE JUST TRAVEL DOCUMENTS.

NEW ZEALAND

7. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST REPORTED THAT NEW ZEALAND WAS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT BUSINESS MIGRANTS WOULD HAVE TO INVEST IN THE COUNTRY FROM NEW ZEALAND DOLLARS 400,000 TO NEW ZEALAND DOLLARS 500,000 AND THE MONEY WOULD NOW HAVE TO BE PRODUCED UP FRONT BEFORE VISAS WERE GRANTED. THE COUNTRY'S MINISTER OF IMMIGRATION HAD WARNED THAT ALL BUSINESS MIGRANTS WOULD FACE TOUGHER SCRUTINY BECAUSE THE SYSTEM HAD BEEN OPEN TO ABUSE, AND BUSINESS MIGRANTS HAD NOT ALWAYS HONOURED THEIR COMMITMENT TO INVEST IN THE COUNTRY.

U.S.

8. SING PAO, QUOTING A SPOKESMAN FOR THE U.S. CONSULATE IN HONG KONG, REPORTED THAT 400 APPLICATIONS FOR VISAS FROM EMPLOYEES OF AMERICAN FIRMS IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN APPROVED.

AIRPORT

9. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS REPORTED THAT ACCORDING TO A REPORT FILED BY A CORRESPONDENT AT THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT, THE CHINESE WANTED TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO SCRUTINISE BIDDERS FOR THE AIRPORT CONTRACTS AND TO DECIDE WHICH INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES COULD TAKE PART IN THE PROJECT. A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WAS QUOTED AS CONFIRMING THAT REPORT AND AS SAYING THAT CHINESE DEMANDS COULD HARDLY BE IGNORED AND THAT UNLESS CHINA, HONG KONG AND BRITAIN ANNOUNCED THAT THEY HAD AGREED ON EVERYTHING ABOUT THE AIRPORT PROJECT, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

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