CONFIDENTIAL
FM BELMOPAN
CONFIDENTIAL
MI HKD 340
ARCHAVED IN REGISTRY
MONTS
TO PRIORITY FCO
SMA
TELNO 027
OF 08173OZ FEBRUARY 91
DEBK OFFICER
IP EX
ECONOMIC CITIZENSHIP
17
025660
MDLIAN 7285
1. DURING A CALL ON PS/MFA ON OTHER BUSINESS YESTERDAY, BOBBY LESLIE RAISED (INFORMALLY) THE QUESTION OF A REVISED PLAN WHICH FOREIGN MINISTER MUSA IS CONSIDERING FOR HELPING CERTAIN QUALIFIED HONG KONG CITIZENS TO SETTLE IN BELIZE SHOULD THEY WISH TO LEAVE HONG KONG BEFORE THE 1997 HANDOVER.
2. MUSA'S IDEAS ARE STIMULATED BY PARAGRAPHS 25 AND 26 OF THE FCO ANNUAL REPORT ON HONG KONG 1989 (COMMAND 1047), PARTICULARLY THE THIRD SENTENCE OF THE LATTER WHICH READS ''THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO MOBILISE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO FOLLOW THE LEAD IN SUPPORTING HONG KONG IN WHATEVER WAYS THEY CAN, INCLUDING THE INTRODUCTION OF ASSURANCE SCHEMES SIMILAR TO OUR OWN'
3. LESLIE SAID THAT, IF APPROACHED, BELIZE WOULD BE WILLING TO CONSIDER AN ASSURANCES SCHEME TO BENEFIT HONG KONG CITIZENS IN THE CATEGORY QUESTION AND THE GOB WOULD APPRECIATE HMG'S SUPPORT
FOR SUCH A SCHEME.
4. THIS APPEARS TO BE A RESUSITATION OF AN EARLIER, DISCREDITED ECONOMIC CITIZENSHIP PROGRAMME WHICH THE PUP GOVERNMENT STOPPED ON TAKING POWER IN 1989 SINCE IT HAD ATTRACTED ALL SORTS OF UNDESIRABLES FROM OVERSEAS (PARTICULARLY THE USA) WHO OBTAINED BELIZEAN CITIZENSHIP MERELY ON PAYMENT OF US DOLLARS 25,000. THE NEW SCHEME WHICH MUSA HAS IN MIND IS, HOWEVER, DESIGNED MORE TO HELP LEGITIMATE HONG KONG BUSINESSMEN 'WITH SUITABLY ADEQUATE INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS'', WHILE AT THE SAME TIME INCREASING INWARD INVESTMENT INTO BELIZE. AS LESLIE PUT IT, IT WOULD BE RESPECTABLE AND IN THE SPIRIT OF THE FCO REPORT UNDER REFERENCE.
5. GRATEFUL TO KNOW HOW I SHOULD RESPOND TO THIS APPROACH.
BENTLEY
YYYY
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