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This is in fact the case: the Hong Kong Government have been
at pains to ensure that the Head of the New China News Agency
(who acts as the unofficial Chinese representative) and his
staff enjoy all the necessary facilities and lose nothing
from their lack of official status. It would be helpful if
the Secretary of State could endorse the line taken by the
Governor.
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
(see Brief No 3). There is a strong feeling in Hong Kong
that Britain should do more to relieve the territory of the
growing burden of its Vietnamese refugees. Exco members
will be appreciative of the efforts which we have made to
get an early conference and drum up resettlement places,
but are likely to press the Secretary of State on the reasons
for our reluctance to accept more refugees for settlement in
the UK.
POSSIBLE CHANGES IN BRITISH NATIONALITY LAW
It
The 1977 Green Paper on British Nationality set out to bring
nationality law into line with British immigration laws.
envisaged the replacement of the inclusive category Citizens
of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) by two separate
categories: British Citizens (those CUKCS with the right of
entry into the UK) and British Overseas Citizens (those CUKCS
without such a right). These proposals aroused great concern
in Hong Kong (which now accounts for most of those who would
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