BRITISH EMBASSYTRICTED
Lange Voorhout 10
2514 ED The Hague
HKD 21
RECEIVED
021/3
4 SEP '991
DESK
Telex 31600
Telephone 070-3645800
FAX 070-3603839
J C Morris Esq
Hong Kong Department
FCO
Your reference
Our reference
Date
23 August 1991
Dear John,
HONG KONG: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
1.
See (6)
Many thanks for your letter of 24 July, and for repeating to us your telno 312 to Ottawa together with the Canadian paper on Confidence Building Measures for Hong Kong. I sent a copy of the Canadian paper, on a personal basis, to Mr van Tooren in the MFA and called on him on 22 August to continue the dialogue.
2. I am sorry to say that he had nothing new to add. I took him through the points in paragraph 3 of your letter and again emphasised the value which we thought would flow from a degree of publicity for the Dutch scheme. I also asked whether they had anything in mind similar to the Canadian package. Van Tooren said that there had been no developments with their own scheme but that he would remind his people in Hong Kong that an answer was awaited from business interests there. He took our point about publicity but was clearly uneasy about it, partly in domestic terms
(immigration of any kind is a sensitive subject) but also because the scheme is so limited. Nevertheless he undertook to consider our angle sympathetically and to keep us informed.
He was intrigued by the Canadian approach, while pointing out that Dutch and Canadian interests in Hong Kong were far apart, particularly with regard to the number of Hong Kong emigrants accepted. He thought it unlikely that they would adopt a similar comprehensive approach, but again undertook to think it over.
3.
We agreed to keep in touch on the subject, and van Tooren made clear that he remains closely interested in Hong Kong. If you have any further points you want fed in, I shall of course be happy to pass them on.
cc P Clark Esq, Peking
RP FLOWER
ev
Romme
S Bradley Esq, Political Advisers Office, Hong Kong
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.