TNAG-2358-FCO40-3429-Official-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 59

VIS

My Sharon MBC vis.

067571 MDLIAN 4242

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELNO 1698

OF 28105OZ MAY 91

AND TO PRIORITY OTTAWA

INFO ROUTINE PEKING

. CONFIDENTIAL

HKD

RECEIVED

হरां

026/12

- 7 JUN 1991

Y-SK OFFICE

PA

TOP COPY Q DIST?

VISIT OF CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER TO HONG KONG, 22-26 MAY

SUMMARY

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SUCCESSFUL VISIT. REAFFIRMATION OF HISTORICAL LINKS COVER 100 YEARS) AND PRESENT CONNECTIONS (28,000 IMMIGRANTS AND CAN. DOLLARS 1.7B WORTH OF TRADE IN 1990). SOME PLAYING TO THE DOMESTIC AUDIENCE BUT STRONG SUPPORT EXPRESSED FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE BASED ON JD AUTONOMY. AMBIGUOUS POSITION ON VIETNAMESE

MIGRANTS.

DETAIL

2.

PRIME MINISTER AND MRS MULRONEY PAID A FOUR-DAY VISIT TO HONG KONG FROM 22-26 MAY. THIS WAS A VERY VALUABLE DEMONSTRATION OF HIGH LEVEL INTEREST AND SUPPORT AT A TIME OF DIFFICULTY WITH

THE CHINESE OVER THE NEW AIRPORT. THE BULK OF THEIR PROGRAMME WAS PACKED INTO 24 AND 25 MAY. 24 MAY INCLUDED AN HOUR OF DISCUSSIONS WITH ME, THE FORMAL LAUNCHING OF THE FESTIVAL OF CANADA IN HONG KONG, A SPEECH TO THE CANADIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND A FORMAL DINNER AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. 25 MAY INCLUDED ATTENDANCE WITH ME AT

A REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY FOR THE CANADIAN WAR DEAD AT THE SEI WAN MILITARY CEMETERY, A VISIT TO PILLAR POINT REFUGEE CAMP, A HELICOPTER TOUR OF HONG KONG, AND A PRESS CONFERENCE. THE PRIME MINISTER ALSO GAVE A NUMBER OF INTERVIEWS TO THE MEDIA DURING HIS VISIT.

3.

THE THEME FOLLOWED IN ALL MR MULRONEY'S PUBLIC STATEMENTS AND PRESS INTERVIEWS WAS THE LONG STANDING AND VERY SUBSTANTIAL CONNECTIONS THAT EXIST BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CANADA, AND CANADA'S STRONG COMMITMENT TO A FUTURE HONG KONG BOTH PROSPEROUS AND ENJOYING ALL THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS DESCRIBED IN THE JOINT

DECLARATION.

THE PROGRAMME INCLUDED HIGH PROFILE EVENTS SUCH AS THE

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