TNAG-2368-FCO40-3441-Future-of-Hong-Kong-international-support-regarding-national-1991 — Page 34

CODE

18-77

Mr Corbett

Reference.

Int Sup.........

20

HKD 340/!

DESK LICEN

POLISH IMMIGRATION

1. I called on Messrs Piotrowski and Skalinski at the Foreign Investment Agency today to continue the discussion of immigration/investment from Hong Kong.

2. They did not have much to add to Mr Mulewicz's account (Warsaw telno 122). Mr Piotrowski made it clear that he had more important things on his mind, and that the experience of the Hungarians, Czechoslovaks and others attracting investment and settlers from Hong Kong was not hugely encouraging. He was also concerned that the Polish Government should not enter into exclusive arrangements with any single organisation (such as HOPCON) whose reliability was an unknown factor.

3. Mr Skalinski mentioned that other organisations trying to negotiate a deal for attracting immigration/ investment from Hong Kong with the Polish Government included a firm of consultants called Artax from

Switzerland and the Norwegian Charity Foundation (whose approach to the Polish authoriites seems to have been forwarded by the Pope!).

4. Mr

Skalinski confirmed Mr Mulewicz's observation that none of the prospective middle men had been able to give any indication of how many people/how much money might be expected. This made it difficult to put together the necessary infrastructure (including housing, office/ factory premises etc) for the reception of Hong Kong Chinese. That said, a meeting two weeks ago involving representatives of the Ministries of the Interior, Foreign Affairs and Labour as well as the Prime Minister's Office, had confirmed Poland's interest in attracting Chinese. Messrs Piotrowski and Skalinski accepted the arguments for flexibility made in recent telegrams from Hong Kong and the FCO, but nonetheless felt that some minimum figure for investment might be appropriate. Recognising that the wealthiest Hong Kong Chinese were more likely to be attracted by Canada, Australia or the US, Mr Skalinski suggested a figure of US$100,000 per person might be appropriate (this is apparently the figure applied by the Hungarians; also that mentioned to us by Mr Kostecki).

and

15.