TNAG-2750-FCO40-3965-Most-favoured-nation-status-for-China-Hong-Kong-interests-1993 — Page 165

21 April 1993

The Rt Hon John Patten Esq MP

House of Commons

London SW1A OAA

Thank you for your letter of 13 April enclosing one from your constituent Mr Robert Marsh of 11 Bridge Street, Osney, Oxford, Oxon OX2 OBA about Tibet and MFN status for China.

Under the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 Britain is responsible for the administration of Hong Kong until 30 June 1997 with the object of preserving its economic prosperity and social stability. As Hong Kong's economy is closely linked to that of China, any measure which would reduce China's trade with the world would also damage Hong Kong. If the US were to end China's Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status, that would severely affect Hong Kong's economy,

This would possibly causing a 50% reduction in GDP growth. have a direct effect on Hong Kong's workforce. Estimates suggest that it would lead to a loss of up to 60,000 jobs. That is why we consider that it is in the interests of the people of Hong Kong for China's MFN status to be renewed. have ensured that the US Administration is fully aware of these important considerations.

We

We continue to be deeply concerned about reports of human

We rights abuses throughout China, including in Tibet. deplore such abuses wherever they occur and have made our concerns clear to the Chinese authorities both in public and private on many occasions. But we do not believe that these issues should be pursued by restricting free trade and thereby damaging Hong Kong. Nor do we see the rescinding of MFN as likely to affect the situation of the Tibetan people.

Mr Marsh also asked about the number of Han Chinese in Tibet. It is difficult if not impossible to confirm the accuracy of these reports. As the Tibet Support Group recognise in the footnotes to your constituent's enclosure, different sources provide different figures and often refer to different geographical areas. In our view it is important to distinguish between the Tibet Autonomous Region and what some Tibetans claim as Greater Tibet, embracing large parts of neighbouring Chinese provinces. The Chinese census, taken in July 1990, recorded that 95.46% of population in the Tibet Autonomous Region was Tibetan while 3.7% was Han Chinese. The census also reported that the total population of Tibetans in the PRC was 4.59m compared with 3.87m in 1982. We have no reason to doubt that the overwhelming population

However, of the Tibet Autonomous Region is still Tibetan. visitors to Lhasa may get a distorted impression, since it is there that nearly all of the Han population of Tibet reside.

I am enclosing a note setting out in greater detail our policy towards Tibet.

Ostdmptbt2403

DOUGLAS HURD

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