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CONFIDENTIAL
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GRS 425
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 250945Z SEP 79
TO PRIORITY F CO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1330 OF 25 SEPTEMBER
INFO PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
PERSONAL FOR MCLAREN.
NATIONALITY BILL.
1. I HAVE DISCUSSED THE HOME OFFICE PAPER PREPARED ON 19 SEPTEMBER
WITH THE MINISTER OF STATE AND MR MURRAY. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS PAPER LOSES FORCE THROUGH ITS OMISSION OF ANY REFERENCE TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL ARGUMENT FOR A THIRD TIER IN THE NEW NATIONALITY STRUCTURE. PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, AND I IMAGINE IN SOME OTHER COLONIES, FEEL THAT THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL DEPENDENT STATUS PLACES THEM IN A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HMG AND THE UK. THE POINT WAS MADE WITH SOME FORCE TO MR BLAKER BY SIR Y K KAN, AND IT IS LEGALLY UNASSAILABLE. MOST OF THE PROPOSED OVERSEAS CITIZENS OUTSIDE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES HAVE NO SUCH RELATIONSHIP. CERTAINLY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD VERY MUCH RESENT
THEIR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UK BEING DOWNGRADED BY THEIR CITIZENSHIP BEING COMBINED WITH THAT OF THESE UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE LEFT IN LIMBO.
2. IN ADDITION THERE IS OF COURSE THE VERY STRONG POLITICAL FOINT THAT ANY SUGGESTION THAT HONG KONG'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UK WAS BEING DOWNGRADED WOULD HAVE AN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ON CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG AND WOULD CAUSE SPECULATION IN PEKING.
3. BECAUSE THE RELATIONSHIP OF RESIDENTS OF DEPENDENT TERRITORIES WITH HUG IN THE UK REMAINS UNCHANGED IN ALL RESPECTS UNDER THE GREEN PAPER PROPOSALS, I STILL THINK THAT LOGICALLY AND LEGALLY THE RIGHT THING WOULD BE FOR THEM TO RETAIN THE NOMENCLATURE OF ''CITIZENS OF THE UK AND COLONIES''.
CONFIDENTIAL
4. HOWEVER