GR 860
SECRET
DESKBY 0912457
FM HONG KONG 091150Z FEB 81
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
SECRET
TELEGRAM NUMBER 122 OF 9 FEBRUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
IP GOP
RECEIVED IN SY
11 FEB 0
BESK 02
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
FOR YOUDE FROM GOVERNOR
SIA
FCO TELEGRAM 103 AND 112.
dian
Sze (65)
+(70
766
NEW NATIONALITY LEGISLATION
SEPARATE CITIZENSHIP FOR DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
1. AS YOU KNOW OUR POSITION HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WE WOULD HAVE
PREFERRED NO CHANGE IN NOMENCLATURE. IF A CHANGE HAD TO BE MADE
THEN IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IT SHOULD BE THE MINIMUM NECESSARY TO SIMPLIFY AND UPDATE UK NATIONALITY LAW WHILST UNDERLINING THE
CONNECTION. BRITISH
2. WE WELCOMED THE INTRODUCTION OF A SEPARATE CATEGORY OF CITIZEN-
SHIP FOR THE DEPENDENCIES AND UNDERSTOOD THAT INDIVIDUAL CITIZENSHIP WAS USUALLY ONLY GRANTED TO DEPENDENT TERRITORIES UPON INDEPENDENCE
SO FAR AS HONG KONG IS CONCERNED WE SEE MUCH ADVANTAGE IN A
CITIZENSHIP OF THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES BY VIRTUE OF THEIR COLONIAL STATUS. ACCORDINGLY WE WOULD PREFER THE GROUNDS FOR HAVING
CBDT TO BE ARGUED ON THE BASIS THAT SINCE CUKC IS NO LONGER AVAILAB THEN SOME COMMON CITIZENSHIP FOR ALL REMAINING DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED.
3. WE THINK IT INADVISABLE TO DEFEND THE PROPOSED COMMON CITIZENSHIP FOR THE REMAINING DEPENDENCIES ON THE GROUNDS OF THE INAPPROPRIATENESS OF A SEPARATE CITIZENSHIP FOR HONG KONG. IT SHOULD
BE ARGUED ON THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION.
4. WE THEREFORE SUGGEST THAT THE BRIEFING TO MINISTERS SHOULD BE
ON THE FOLLOWING LINES
THE REMAINING DEPENDENCIES WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO REMAIN
AS CUCK.
SINCE CUKC IS NOT ACCEPTABLE THEN IT IS DESIRABLE THAT CITIZENSHIP OF THE REMAINING DEPENDENCIES SHOULD BE RETAINED
BY ALL OF THEM.
THIS ARRANGEMENT WOULD UNDERLINE THE CONTINUING CONSTITUTIONAL
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DEPENDENCIES AND THE UK.
SECRET
15.
62