I have suggested "Citizen of Hong Kong" but was strongly advised against it by HM Ambassador, Peking, on the grounds that it could be interpreted by Peking as tending towards an independent status for Hong Kong. He thought it would be better if the nomenclature for Hong Kong were an omnibus one applicable also to other dependent territories.
14
(b) is a second choice because the adjective "Colonial" is sometimes pejorative. Cn the other hand few people in Hong Kong object to the fact that Hong Kong is a Colony, and it is possible that (a) would be regarded by the Home Office as too near the old "Citizen of UK and Colonies" to be acceptable.
15
I therefore recommend that our order of preference should be:
(i) Citizen of UK and Colonies (Hong Kong)
(ii) Citizen of UK Colonies (Hong Kong)
(iii) British Colonial Citizen (Hong Kong).
16
There are plenty of other possibilities, but Mr Blaker did express a preference for (ii).
1st October 1979
(CR L/M 305/79)
COUNCIL CHAMBER
CONFIDENTIAL
G.S. 166