CONFIDENTIAL
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for
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RECEIVED IN RIONERY NO. 51 Mr Quanti
27 DEC 979
REMORY
RECORD OF CONVERSATION AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONG KONG, ON TUESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 1979 AT 30am
&
Present:
No
रचार
Aw
HE The Governor of Hong Kong Mr Peter Blaker MP
Mr D F
Murray CMG, AUSS, FCO Mr C A Munro
Sir Y K Kan
Mr Oswald Cheung
15
1.
Sir Y K Kan explained that he and Mr Cheung had come to talk about a potential difficulty for the people of Hong Kong over new legislation on nationality which they understood the British Government planned to introduce. Mr Cheung said that if there was any change in the existing title of citizen of United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC) people in Hong Kong would conclude that there must be some detrimental change in their status. Mr Blaker said that he took Mr Cheung's point. Ideally from Hong Kong's point of view the title of CUKC should be
retained. But we had to recognise that this might not be possible. What would Sir Y K Kan and Mr Cheung suggest as a fallback position? Mr Blaker added that what was done for Hong Kong would have to be done for the other Colonies. Mr Cheung said that Hong Kong people wanted no change in their status and no change in nomenclature. The Governor had already put this to the FCO. The Governor said that he had argued in favour of no change but for obvious tactical reasons he had not put forward any fallback position. His fallback position would be that there should be as little change as possible. We needed a title suitable for all Colonies. Perhaps citizen of United Kingdom Colony (Hong Kong) would be suitable. The Governor said he conceded that it would probably be essential, from the British point of view, to delete "and".
2.
Sir Y K Kan said that for the PRC there should be no change. The Governor agreed.
3. Mr Cheung said that he and Sir Y K Kan hoped to consult relevant Government and Conservative Party personalities during their visit to Britain from 27 October to 3 November The Governor said that Sir Y K Kan and Mr Cheung would also be able to discuss the point with the Parliamentary Delegation led by Sir Paul Bryan due to visit Hong Kong on 12 October. Mr Murray said that on present plans it looked as though a Bill would be tabled around the end of November. The Home Office were considering proposing three types of British citizenship.
The Governor said that a
Bill with only two types of British citizenship would be disastrous.
4. The Governor said it was agreed that Hong Kong's preferred position was retention of the title citizen of United Kingdom and
.1.
CONFIDENTIAL
/Colonies.