In Confidence
48
BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION
P. O. Box 30465. Bruce House, Standard Street, Nairobi
Telegraphic Address: Ukrep Nairobi. Telephone: Nairobi 335944
Telex: Nairobi 22219
Mr P M Munene
Permanent Secretary Ministry of Industry
PO Box 30418
NAIROBI
140 340/1
нио
RECEIVED A DECISmily
16 JUL 1991
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
1 July 1991
PA
iaken
Deer Mr Munene,
Thank you for your letter of 12 June to Sir Roger Tomkys, who is on leave, about the Development Universal Challenge Africa Project Association (DUCAPA).
We had not previously heard about DUCAPA's proposal for ex-Hong Kong residents to invest in Kenya, and I am grateful to you for drawing it to our attention. I discussed this proposal with Captain Kiendi, Executive Director of DUCAPA, when he called on me on 25 June. As I explained to him,the British and Hong Kong Governments are interested in schemes which would provide Hong Kong residents with the assurance of the right of abode elsewhere where such assurances would enable them to remain in Hong Kong. But we cannot support initiatives which encourage people to emigrate from Hong Kong. This would run counter to the objective of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990, which was designed to give people the confidence to remain in Hong Kong beyond 1997.
We are puzzled by Captain Kiendi's assertion in his letter to you that the group of Hong Kong residents in question would be stateless when that territory reverts to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. No one will be made stateless by the transfer of sovereignty: any Hong Kong resident who would otherwise be rendered stateless in 1997 shall automatically become a British Overseas Citizen.
I hope that this is useful background. Of course we are not opposed to investment in Kenya by Hong Kong citizens, but we are certainly not encouraging them to emigrate in the run up to 1997.
Yisha
has terefling,
(༢),རྒྱུ. -ཚནམ་།
H Warren-Gash
Acting High Commissioner
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