The Joint Declaration of 1984, which provided for the transfer of sovereignty while guaranteeing Hong Kong the status of Special Administrative Region and the maintenance of its capitalist system for 50 years, was widely considered to be exemplary, since it appeared to ensure the ending of a colonial régime, while allowing Hong Kong to maintain its remarkable position as an international financial and trading centre. It has always been clear, however, that Hong Kong's prosperity and success in future as part of a novel arrangement known as "one country, two systems” would depend on the goodwill of the Chinese Government. The British and the Hong Kong Governments see the huge port and airport scheme as a way of bolstering the economy and maintaining confidence in the territory during the transitional years and the period immediately after the handover. They have always insisted that London and Hong Kong must retain the right to take decisions during the transitional period, as set out in the 1984 accord. The Chinese side, however, fears that the proposed proportion of public funding for the project risks running down Hong Kong's reserves to a dangerously low level and they want the territory to set aside a substantial sum to ensure this does not happen. Above all they want their opinions to be taken into consideration on issues affecting Hong Kong's long-term future.
Discussions continue on the question of consultation in the period up to 1997 and the responsibility of the Hong Kong Government for administering the territory up to that date. But the fact is that arguments over the financing of the new airport have already delayed major tenders from potential participants and commitments by banks and other private financial institutions. It is to be hoped that the continuing negotiations will reach a satisfactory conclusion to enable work to start on the new airport, which all parties agree is a facility which Hong Kong needs. Vietnamese Boat People. In June 1989, 75 countries attended the International Conference in Geneva. They agreed on a Comprehensive Plan of Action which consisted of four elements:
• First asylum
Screening
• Resettlement of Refugees
• Repatriation of Non-Refugees
The first three were implemented but efforts to implement the fourth in full have failed. Hong Kong is now left with over 17,000 screened-outs (i.e. non-refugees) who will never be accepted by resettlement countries. Over 35,000 VBP await screening. Since March 1989, around 7,000 VBP returned to Vietnam under the voluntary repatriation programme but over 49,000 arrived and over 4,900 were born. The voluntary programme is no solution.
Repatriation of illegal immigrants is an internationally accepted practice. All illegal immigrants from China, once caught, are repatriated automatically and in 1990, some 30,000 were returned. Over 80 per cent of VBP are not refugees, but are economic migrants leaving their country for better economic opportunities: yet they are automatically admitted. The disparity in treatment for illegal immigrants from China compared to the Vietnamese is deeply resented by the Hong Kong residents, many of whom have been waiting for years for their relatives to join them from China.
So far, Hong Kong has spent considerable sums on the Vietnamese problem, not to mention other facilities and services, such as hospitals, accommodation and manpower resources, which are much needed by the local community. At the same time, Hong Kong cannot see any genuine efforts by the international community in addressing the problem. The people feel aggrieved by international criticisms of camp conditions when many of their own people have to put up with a very poor living environment. The Hong Kong people do care about the world around them and have financially contributed towards overseas natural disasters and justified
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eds. But the lack of understanding and co-operation internationally in resolving the problem of the Vietnamese illegal immigrants in Hong Kong is causing a rapidly growing frustration.
The objection of the United States to the return of non-refugees to Vietnam has left Hong Kong with no choice but to keep them in detention centres. The international community, in particular the United States and Vietnam, can help to solve this human tragedy by agreeing to the automatic return of non-refugees, thus putting an end to their futile waiting. Camp life is not pleasant for the Vietnamese and the effect on their children is even worse. Overcrowding, violence and crime in camps have created serious management problems and posed danger to the inmates as well as the staff who look after them.
The increasing number of daily arrivals coupled with the lack of ways of returning the stranded non-refugees have aroused strong calls from the frustrated Hong Kong public to scrap the first asylum policy. In spite of all the complexities surrounding the problem Hong Kong looks to the British Government to:
• formulate an effective and practicable strategy to curb the influx of Vietnamese Boat People and expedite the repatriation of all non-refugee Vietnamese stranded in the territory;
contribute to the expense incurred resulting from the presence of the Vietnamese in Hong Kong and encourage other countries such as the United States to make similar contributions;
press the United States to take appropriate action to facilitate the improve- ment of the Vietnamese economy which is the root cause of the problem.
EMPLOYMENT
Hong Kong's labour market remained very tight during the year as a result of the high level of economic activity. The problem of the brain drain, resulting from the emigration of professionals and experienced personnel, continued to cause concern. Employers were adopting new approaches to tackle the problem of staff recruit- ment and retention. Higher wages were offered, particularly in the construction industry and service sector. A scheme was approved by the Government to import a limited number of foreign workers to help ease the tight labour market situation. Unemployment for the third quarter of 1990 was 1.7 per cent and underemploy- ment was 0-6 per cent. The average wage rates for all employees, including wage earners and salaried employees up to supervisory level, increased by 12.6 per cent in money terms between September 1989 and September 1990. Taking into account rises in consumer prices, wage rates for all employees increased in real terms by 2-6 per cent. The overall average daily wage rate for workers in September 1990 was $189.
Hong Kong's dynamic workforce totals 2.8 million, of which 64 per cent are men and 36 per cent women. Of the total workforce, 28 per cent are engaged in manufacturing, 26-1 per cent in wholesale and retail trades, restaurants and hotels, 18.8 per cent in community, social and personal services, 9.9 per cent in transport, storage and communications, 8-4 per cent in construction and 7.3 per cent in the financing, insurance, real estate and business services.
The Employment Ordinance provides for benefits including statutory holidays, annual leave, rest days, maternity leave, sickness allowance, severance payment, long service payment and other entitlements for employees. Many employees also enjoy a year-end bonus of one month's pay or more under their employment contracts, usually paid just before the Lunar New Year. In recent years, an increasing number of employers have introduced provident fund schemes to provide long-term security for their employees.
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