'381
00 PEKING
GRS 212
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 3yoli
кк
7 OCT 1981
390
DESK OFFICES INDEX
PA
Action Taken
ло
15/10
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 051635Z OCT 81-
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 425 OF 5 OCTOBER
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG (PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR).
YOUR TELNO 591: NATIONALITY BILL
30477 - 2
See 692B
(378
1. WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP AS MANY OPTIONS OPEN AS POSIBLE IN CASE
WE CAN HELP HONG KONG OVER THE BILL. FCO TELNO 420 DID NOT
EXPLAIN THAT IF AN ADDITION WERE POSSIBLE THE ALTERNATIVE
DESIGNATIONS WOULD BE COVERED IN A NEW CLAUSE TO THE BILL. THIS
WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT CBDT FORMED A DEFINITE CITIZENSHIP
CATEGORY, BUT FOR PASSPORT OR OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE PURPOSES CBDT
COULD ALTERNATIVELY BE DESCRIBED AS 'BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRI-
TORIES CITIZEN' WITH A FURTHER OPTIONAL VARIATION THAT THE NAME
OF THE TERRITORY MIGHT BE USED INSTEAD OF THE WORDS 'DEPENDENT
TERRITORIES'. IT WOULD THUS AVOID THE SUGGESTION THAT
DEPENDENCIES HAD SEPARATE INDIVIDUAL CITIZENSHIPS.
2. THE ADVANTAGE FOR US IN OMITTING THE BRACKETS AROUND THE NAME
OF A DEPENDENT TERRITORY WOULD BE TO AVOID ANY SUGGESTION THAT
RESIDENTS OF INDIVIDUAL DEPENDENT TERRITORIES WERE BEING ADMITTED
TO A BRANCH OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP.
3. WE HOPE THEREFORE THAT ON THIS BASIS YOU WILL CONSIDER THAT
IF THE BRACKETS IN 'BRITISH (HONG KONG) CITIZEN' WERE TO BE
OMITTED, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO ALLAY ANY CHINESE MISGIVINGS,
SHOULD THE NEED EVER ARISE.
CARRINGTON
LIMITED
PS
HKG D
P S/L P S
1
NT D
PS/LORD TREFGARNE
SED
SAMD
WIAD
MR DONALD
MR ADAMS
CONFIDENTIAL