TNAG-2468-FCO40-3592-Most-favoured-nation-status-for-China-Hong-Kong-interests-1992 — Page 183

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THE U.S. ALSO HAS A DEEP INTEREST IN PROTECTING HUMAN

RIGHTS IN HONG KONG, AS WE DO THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

BECAUSE

HONG KONG RESIDENTS HAVE LONG ENJOYED RESPECT FOR THEIR BASIC

HUMAN RIGHTS, THIS ASPECT OF THE TRANSITION MERITS THE SPECIAL

ATTENTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD.

U.S. POLICY TOWARD HONG KONG

[

WE ARE NOT HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS MFN FOR CHINA, BUT I WOULD

BE REMISS IF I DID NOT POINT OUT THAT THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST

IN IMPORTANT U.S. TRADE POLICY MEASURE AFFECTING HONG KONG.

VIEW OF THE INCREASINGLY CLOSE ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF HONG

KONG AND SOUTH CHINA, THE U.S. CANNOT IMPOSE PROHIBITIVE

TARIFFS ON CHINESE GOODS AND IMAGINE THAT HONG KONG WOULD

TENS OF ESCAPE INEVITABLY SERIOUS ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES.

THOUSANDS OF HONG KONG WORKERS WOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS AND

BUSINESS CONFIDENCE WOULD SUSTAIN TREMENDOUS DAMAGE.

STEP WOULD BE INCONSISTENT WITH CONGRESS' CONCERN FOR HONG KONG.

SUCH A

THAT CONCERN MANIFESTED ITSELF IN CONGRESSIONAL PASSAGE,

WITH ADMINISTRATION SUPPORT, OF PROVISIONS IN THE IMMIGRATION

ACT OF 1990 WHICH WERE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO SUSTAIN

CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. THESE MEASURES ENSURED THAT HONG KONG

WOULD NOT BE AMALGAMATED INTO CHINA'S IMMIGRATION QUOTA IN

1997. THE PROVISIONS ASSISTED IN CREATING AN IMMIGRATION

"SAFETY NET" FOR HONG KONG BY ALLOWING MOST IMMIGRANT VISA