14-JUL-1993 19:55
HK GOVERNMENT HOUSE
852 521 1868
P.bi
The Rt Hon Christopher Patten
103
香港總督府
Confidential
Ira Michand,
GOVERNMENT HOUSE HONG KONG
ist
27 My Mooi row
14 July 1993
Miss Blis
please copy
DIJ
to Mr Kelly
14/1
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Thank you for your letter of 13 July and for letting
me know your decision so promptly.
I have looked again at Lady Young's pledge in the House of Lords. I have to say that when her words are read in context I think it is pretty clear that they do not apply solely to the ethnic minorities. In practice, if we actually faced a situation in which people were under pressure to leave Hong Kong and had nowhere else to go, I imagine we would not be in a position to distinguish between individual British Nationals.
It is likely that I will be pressed here in Hong Kong on this issue. I will naturally seek to play it down and to avoid controversy. I intend to take the line that the British Government have made clear their position on the ethnic minorities. If asked whether the assurance Ministers have given to the ethnic minorities also applies to ethnic Chinese BNO/BOCS, I shall say that Ministers have stated that that assurance applies specifically to the ethnic minorities. But as regards the rest, Sir Geoffrey Howe made clear in 1989 that if, against all our expectations, the worst were to happen in Hong Kong after 1997, then Britain, with its special responsibility for the Territory, would have to respond to that and would seek to mobilise a response internationally. If I am asked specifically whether the Government still holds to this pledge I would propose to say that it does.
I am copying this letter to Alastair Goodlad.
HKD 340/6.
Juan, b
15 J│· 1993
Governor
The Rt Hon Michael Howard QC MP
Home Secretary
Queen Anne's Gate
Westminster
London SW1
United Kingdom
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