RESTRICTED
FM CANBERRA
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 11
OF 16063OZ APRIL 91
RESTRICTED
HKD 340
RECEIVED IN DE
19 APR 199
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
INFO ROUTINE FCO, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE
PA
YOUR TELNO 10: VISIT OF MARTIN LEE TO AUSTRALIA
31
1.06737 MDLIAN 3606
plo Int. Support
Highlighed but!
17/
1. MARTIN LEE VISITED AUSTRALIA (MELBOURNE, CANBERRA AND SYDNEY) FROM 8 TO 13 APRIL. HE DELIVERED THE DEAN'S LECTURE AT SYDNEY UNIVERSITY AND A SPEECH TO THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS IN CANBERRA. HE GAVE A NUMBER OF RADIO AND TV INTERVIEWS. PRESS COVERAGE WAS HOWEVER LIGHT.
2. IN CANBERRA LEE CALLED ON THE PRIME MINISTER (HAWKE), FOREIGN MINISTER (EVANS), MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION (HAND) AND THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION CHEWSON). HE ALSO MET WITH MEMBERS OF THE JOINT FOREIGN AFFAIRS, DEFENCE AND TRADE COMMITTEE. LEE URGED AUSTRALIA TO ADOPT AN INDEPENDENT POLICY ON HONG KONG. HOWEVER HE WAS NOT SPECIFIC ON HOW THIS WOULD DIFFER FROM AUSTRALIA'S PRESENT POLICY. HE EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR AUSTRALIA'S SUPPORT FOR HONG KONG MEMBERSHIP OF APEC AND URGED AUSTRALIA TO CONCLUDE A SEPARATE AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH HONG KONG. HE ALSO RAISED THE QUESTION OF A SCHEME FOR DEFERRED IMMIGRATION ALONG THE LINES ADOPTED BY THE US AND SINGAPORE. ON THE LATTER POINT THE AUSTRALIANS EXPLAINED THE LIMITATIONS IMPOSED BY THEIR GLOBAL NON-DISCRIMINATORY POLICY BUT SAID THEY WOULD EXAMINE WHETHER THERE WERE ANY MEASURES THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WHICH WOULD NOT COMPROMISE THIS
POLICY.
3. BOTH IN PRIVATE AND IN PUBLIC LEE'S MAIN MESSAGE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND FEAR THAT BRITAIN WAS SELLING HONG KONG SHORT ON THE PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT. PRIOR TO LEE'S VISIT THE AUSTRALIAN MEDIA HAD PROMINENTLY REPORTED THE FOREIGN SECRETARY'S VISIT TO CHINA AND THE DIFFERENCE OVER PADS BETWEEN UK AND HONG KONG ON THE ONE HAND AND CHINA ON THE OTHER. THE GENERAL TONE OF MEDIA REPORTING HAS BEEN THAT CHINA IS CALLING THE TUNE AND CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG IS BEING INCREASINGLY ERODED. WE ARE FAXING SOME REPRESENTATIVE PRESS ARTICLES.
COMMENT
4.
INTEREST IN HONG KONG MATTERS IN AUSTRALIA HAS HEIGHTENED OVER
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