GR$ 600
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 150985Z JAN 80
TO PRIORITY F C O
CONFIDENTIAL
3LL O
RESSIVED IN REGKKYNO,' 51
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"ISK OPENER
INJEK
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(10)
TELEGRAM NUMBER 95 OF 15 JANUARY
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, GIBRALTAR (PERSONAL), BELMOPAN (PERSONAL),
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.
YOUR TELNO 19 (NOT TO ALL) NATIONALITY LAW.
Ele
12
30
1981
See MKK 340/1 STA)
1. UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS REMAIN GRAVELY CONCERNED THAT THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN NOMENCLATURE WILL HAVE WIDE REPERCUSSIONS AND STRONG POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS UNLESS THE EXISTING TITLE OF CITIZEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND COLONIES'' IS RETAINED. THEIR FIRST, AND VERY STRONG PREFERENCE REMAINS, AS IT ALWAYS HAS DONE, FOR CUKC.
THIS IS ALSO THE PREFERRED SOLUTION OF THE AMBASSADOR IN PEKING (PEKING TELNO 922 OF 19 OCTOBER).
2. UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS HOPE THAT YOU WILL FEEL ABLE TO SUPPORT THEIR VIEW AGAINST THE PREFERENCES OF THE HOME OFFICE IN THE INTERESTS OF THE REMAINING DEPENDENCIES AND BECAUSE OF THE EMPHASIS
WHICH SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE STRONG LINKS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE UNITED KINGDOM ECONOMICALLY AND POLITICALLY. IF, DESPITE THIS,
MINISTERS DECIDE THAT THERE MUST BE A CHANGE THEN UNOFFICIALS WISH TO RETAIN THE PREFIX BRITISH SUBJECT'' (SEE MY TEL NO 421 OF 11 OCTOBER). THEY ARE STRONGLY IN FAVOUR OF BRITISH SUBJECT: HONG KONG CITIZEN'' WHICH REPRESENTS THE PRESENT POSITION.
THE TITLE "'BRITISH (HONG KONG) CITIZEN IS THE ALTERNATIVE, BUT IS NOT MUCH FAVOURED. THERE REMAINS STRONG OBJECTION TO ''BRITISH COLONIAL CITIZEN (HONG KONG)*' OR ''BRITISH COLONIAL CITIZEN OF HONG KONG''.
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3. EXCO WAS NOT DISPOSED TO ADVISE ACCEPTANCE OF ANY OF THE TITLES
PROPOSED IN PARA 2 OF YOUR TEL NO PERSONAL 1 OF THE 4 JANUARY.
4. MY ASSESSMENT IS THAT UNOFFICIALS ARE AS CONCERNED AS EVER THAT WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS RECOGNISED AS BEING A CHANGE OF NOMENCLATURE
WITHOUT HAVING AN EFFECT ON THE RIGHTS OF ENTRY INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM OF HK CUKCS WILL HAVE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS BECAUSE IT
CONFIDENTIAL
/WILL
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