101
GRS 1000
SECRET
SECRET
FM FCO 25174OZ FEF 31
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 188 OF 25 FEBRUARY
FOR GOVERNOR FROM YOUDE
TOP COPY
HKK 340
RECEIVED BEAMSEY NO. 51 26 FEB 1981
DES, OPAL DA
See 100A
94
YOUR TELNO 192: NEW NATIONALITY BILL
INQEX
118
ملار
PA.
IMAIS RY
Action Targ
8-303. AG03013
1. I FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR WISH TO COME HERE TO SEE THE SECRETAR
OF STATE AND MR WHITELAW. A PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT WITH FORMER HAS
BEEN PENCILLED IN FOR 10 OR 12 MARCH. HOME OFFICE HAVE CONFIRMED
THAT LATTER WILL BE AVAILABLE, BUT NO FIRM APPOINTMENT HAS YET
BEEN SOUGHT. THE PUS WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE YOU BEFORE YOU CALL ON
LORD CARRINGTON. IF YOU DECIDE TO COME, GRATEFUL TO KNOW DATES
WHICH WOULD SUIT BEST.
66
see
2. DONALD AND ADAMS MET ON 24 FEBRUARY WITH HOME/OFFICE OFFICIALS AND FIRMLY ADVANCED THE POINTS IN YOUR TELNO 129. DONALD GAVE THE HOME OFFICE A VERY FULL ACCOUNT OF THE WIDER POLITICAL BACK-
GROUND AND LEFT THEM IN NO DOUBT AS TO THE REAL DIFFICULTIES WHICH
YOU WOULD FACE IF NO MEANS CAN BE FOUND TO SATISFY HONG KONG ANXIET-
IES.
3. THE AMENDMENTS PROPOSED IN PARAS 6, 7 AND 11 OF YOUR TELNO 129
WERE PUT SQUARELY TO THE HOME OFFICE. WE STRONGLY URGED THE IMPORT-
ANCE OF MEETING, ALONG THESE LINES, HONG KONG'S NEED FOR AMENDMENTS
TO THE BILL ITSELF. NO FALL-BACK POSITIONS WERE REVEALED.
23
HRK 204/2
66
4. THE HOME OFFICE OFFICIALS UNDERTOOK TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSALS.
THEY EXPLAINED THAT MR WHITELAW FELT THAT HE HAD GONE A CONSIDERABLE
DISTANCE ALREADY IN MEETING HONG KONG'S EARLIER OBJECTIONS BY
AGREEING TO A SPECIAL CITIZENSHIP FOR DEPENDENT TERRITORIES, HE
HAD ALSO DONE A GREAT DEAL TO HELP HONG KONG IN TERMS OF THE UK QUOTA FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. (DONALD HAD PREVIOUSLY RAISED THIS IN
ILLUSTRATING THE RANGE OF CURRENT IRRITATIONS IN RELATIONS BETWEEN HMG AND HONG KONG.) TO MAKE ANY FURTHER MAJOR CONCESSION TO HONG
KONG IN THE NATIONALITY CONTEXT WOULD EXPOSE THE HOME SECRETARY TO
POLITICAL CRITICISM.
5. THIS ECHOES THE TONE OF THE HOME SECRETARY'S WRITTEN REPLY TO LORD CARRINGTON FOLLOWING THE MEETING WITH SIR S Y CHUNG AND CHEUNG.
WHILE THE HOME OFFICE HAVE AGREED TO LOOK AT HONG KONG'S CASE AGAIN, THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF PRESENTATION IF THE
GOVERNMENT PUTS FORWARD ANY AMENDMENTS ON THE LINES SUGGESTED. SO
FAR NO MP'S HAVE PUT FORWARD AMENDMENTS ON HONG KONG'S BEHALF. AS THE HOME OFFICE SEE IT, IF THE GOVERNMENT PUTS THEM FORWARD AS
DESIGNED FOR THE RARE CASE, AS WITH OTHER CROWN SERVANTS, IT WILL
2E CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE THE GENERAL ASSURANCE YOU
SEEK. MOREOVER, SINCE THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ARE PUB-
LIC, IT WOULD SOON BECOME EVIDENT TO HONG KONG THAT THE AMENDMENTS
1981
SECRET
/SOUGHT