Ref:
UT 5166
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CONFIDENTIALI
ال
Office of Unofficial Members at Executive and Legislative Councils P&O Building, 13th floor, 21-23, Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong.
Telephone
Date:
Please reply to :
w/57
Statement of the Views of the Unofficial Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils of Hong Kong on the British Government's Green Paper "British Nationality Law: Discussion of Possible Changes"
GENERAL
We acknowledge that the British Government has a genuine need to rationalise its nationality law. This must not however be done at the expense of residents of dependent territories for whom the British Government has responsibilities which are important to the continued social progress and economic development of these territories.
2.
The Green Paper needs to be considered from two points of view. They are the technical implications for the individual resident of Hong Kong und the political implications on the internal and external confidence in Hong Kong
3.
We have not yet studied the technical implications but will do so in the coming months. Our prime and immediate concern is in respect of the political implications.
POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS
4.
Hong Kong, unlike any other past or present colony, does not have before it the options of continuing as a dependency or becoming independent. It can only remain dependent or become part of China. The lease of the New Territories, which the British Government recognises, even if the Chinese Government does not, will expire in 1997 and the ceded parts of the territory are not viable without the New Territories. Whatever position the Chinese Government and the British Government may eventually agree with regard to the significance of this date, its existence has obvious psychological and practical implications for Hong Kong
· residents. These are likely to increase with the passage of time, but hitherto they have been off-set to a large extent by the population's trust in the British Government's commitment to the territory.
5.
Although the implications of the expiry of this lease have been known for many years, it has not yet been
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