TNAG-2380-FCO40-3459-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-Nationality-(Hong-Kong)-Act-19-1991 — Page 181

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM BTC HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 80

OF 061058Z MARCH 91

AMENDED DISTRIBUTION 12TH MARCH 91

AND TO IMMEDIATE DTI

154166 MDHIAN 7564

DTI FOR LOVE, OT2

BRITISH UNDERTAKINGS

1. THE ADVISORY GROUP MET ON 6 MARCH AND APPROVED A FURTHER 34

BRITISH

UNDERTAKINGS.

2. DETAILS OF THE COMPANIES CONCERNED AND THE BASIS FOR THEIR APPROVAL WILL BE SENT BY FAX 7 MARCH. MOST WERE ROUTINE, BUT TWO MORE DIFFICULT CASES APPROVED WERE THE KCRC AND CAVENDISH INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LTD (CIH).

3. KCRC WAS CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THE DECISION ON MTR AS REPORTED IN MY TELNO 62 OF 21 FEBRUARY. THE DECISION TO APPROVE WAS MADE ON THE GROUNDS OF BRITISH MANAGEMENT (DI) AND TRADE (DIII). IT WAS FURTHER NOTED THAT THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN KCRC AND MTR WERE SUCH THAT A DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THEM WOULD BE HARD TO JUSTIFY. INDEED, IN THE PUBLIC MIND, KCRC WOULD BE CONSIDERED THE MORE BRITISH COMPANY FOR HISTORICAL REASONS.

4. CIH WAS RECONSIDERED IN LIGHT OF ITS PRIVATISATION AND 5 FEBRUARY WHEN IT BEGAN A MOVE TO BECOME A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF HUTCHINSON WHAMPOA AND THEREFORE QUALIFIED UNDER THE SAME CRITERIA, IE DIII AND DIV. THE COMMITTEE HOWEVER DECIDED NOT TO RECONSIDER CHEUNG KONG HOLDINS AS NO NEW INFORMATION WAS OFFERED.

5. THE COMMITTEE ALSO MADE RULINGS ON A LIST OF COMPANIES TAKEN FROM EXTRACTS OF APPLICATIONS FORWARDED BY IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT. THOSE WHICH ARE CLEARLY ONLY SLIGHT VARIATIONS IN THE NAMES OF COMPANIES ON THE PUBLISHED LIST HAVE BEEN APPROVED WITHOUT RESUBMISSION. WE ARE STILL LEFT WITH A SMALL RESIDUE OF COMPANIES, FORWARDED BY IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT, ON WHICH WE ARE SEEKING FURTHER INFORMATION BEFORE RULING CAN BE MADE.

6. I HOPE WE MIGHT HAVE FCO AND DTI APPROVAL FOR THESE LATEST

1

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