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3.
SPEED ACCEPTED THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN NATIONALITY
AND RIGHTS OF ENTRY AND ASKED IF IN DRAFTING FUTURE LEGISLATION
IT WAS NECESSARY TO EMPHASISE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THESE
TWO, THIS WOULD CAUSE SIMILAR ANXIETY IN HONG KONG. I SAID
I THOUGHT NOT. THE SHOCK OF THE COMMONWEALTH IMMIGRATION ACT
HAD LONG SINCE BEEN DISSIPATED AND IT HAD NOT COME AT A TIME
WHEN THE LONG-TERM FUTURE OF HONG KONG WAS A TALKING POINT.
4.
1 BELIEVE HE UNDERSTOOD THE POSITION. HE SAID HE WOULD
NOW REPORT BACK TO WHITELAW AS HE HAD ALREADY TOLD WHITELAW
HE WAS MEETING ME. I ASKED WHETHER IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO
HIM TO HAVE A NOTE AND HE SAID THIS WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.
5. WHEN THE GOVERNOR WAS HERE, PAUL BRYAN THOUGHT IT MIGHT
DO SOME GOOD FOR HIM TO SEE WHITELAW BUT IN THE EVENT THERE
WAS NOT TIME. I UNDERSTOOD THE GOVERNOR WAS THINKING OF
WRITING. IF YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE USEFUL IT MIGHT SEEM
SOMEWHAT LESS FORMAL IF I WERE TO CONVEY THE NOTE TO THEM
AS A FOLLOW-UP TO OUR LUNCH RATHER THAN COMING OUT OF THE
BLUE TO WHITELAW. 1. DO NOT FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THIS.
5. MAY I SUGGEST THAT THE DRAFT BE PREPARED IN HONG KONG.
THIS IS A TRICKY SUBJECT AND ONE ON WHICH IT IS IMPORTANT
TO GET CORRECT DETAIL. SPEED AND, INDEED, CONSERVATIVES
GENERALLY ALWAYS SEEM A BIT CRESTFALLEN WHEN ONE POINTS OUT
TO THEM THAT BY FAR THE LARGEST CATEGORY OF PRESENT-DAY
CITIZEN OF THE UK AND COLONIES OUTSIDE THE UK ARE IN HONG
KONG AND THAT THE EFFECT OF A CHANGE OF NATIONALITY LAW
MUST BE ADVERSE FOR CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. THEY SUPPORT
HONG KONG AND IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO PERSUADE THEM NOT
TO CAUSE APPREHENSION IN HONG KONG.
OWEN
FILES
HK & GD (6)
MR.MURRAY
COPIES TO:
HONG KONG GOVN OFFICE
2
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