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- 4 AUG 1981
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
RUUSTRY Action Taken
3217
323
HONG KONG : NATIONALITY BILL
1.
10,9. P501017
In the House of Lords Debate in Committee on 23 July on Amendment No 119ZA, a good many allegations were made to the effect that 'people in Hong Kong' had asked for an arrangement giving separate citizenship in some form or another.
2.
I know that proposals involving 'British (Hong Kong) Citizen' and other formulae have been put forward by Unofficials and others but the official position of the Hong Kong Government remains, so far as I am aware, that they do not want separate citizenship, partly because of the attitude of China and partly because it would mean more 'distancing'.
I do not think we should take any action with other departments at this stage but I would be grateful if Mr Friar could establish exactly what the position is on:
3.
a) the position of the Hong Kong Government with the latest
view on this point;
b) who in Hong Kong has put forward proposals for separate citizenship or for the 'British (Hong Kong) Citizen' formula.
We need to have this factual information ready in case Ministers are challenged on this point or any further suggestions are made, as was done in the debate, that we were out of step with the Governor on this question.
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27 July 1981
Mr McQuade
Mr Clift
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Exco's early views on nomenclature favoured something of a British (Hong Kong) Citizen variety: Annex C of Exco memorandum XCC(81)20 of 3 March 1981 summarised Exco's preferences of January 1980 and the Home Office's views on them.
2. Mr O V Cheung raised the possibility of a separate Hong Kong citizenship with Lord Carrington in February (paragraph 12 of the record): he thought it would not greatly trouble the Chinese. In its 'unanimous' opinion on the Bill, dated 2 March 1981, UMELCO
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