сикус
CONFIDENTIAL
POINTS TO MAKE
ps right a
die
BRIEF FOR SECRETARY OF STATE FOR MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER AND HOME SECRETARY AT 5.15 PM ON 21 OCTOBER: IN HONG KONG PASSPORTS
NOMENCLATURE
Br. bed.
Gem. Cit.
Points to Make
1. Hong Kong concern about British Nationality Act as apparent move by HMG to distance UK from Territory. People in Hong Kong accept they have no right of entry to UK. To
put 'British national' in their passports would not affect
this but would be of great political and psychological
significance in UK/Hong Kong relations. Measure of UK's commitment to Territory.
2. Most significant gesture we could make to allay anxieties in period of uncertainty over Hong Kong's future.
3.
To refuse would cause grave disappointment especially as expectations raised by the Prime Minister's remark
in Hong Kong that she hoped to have some encouraging news.
Disappointment would be aggravated when HMG do not oppose
Lord Bruce's Bill for British citizenship for Falkland
Islanders.
1
of p
Alar
we probably will 'ppose' the bill, at best formally,
4. Sir S Y Chung, Senior Unofficial, mentioned to me strength of feeling among Hong Kong Unofficials. He warned that refusal would make passage through the Executive and Legislative Councils of local Hong Kong legislation,, consequential on British Nationality Act, difficult. Such a confrontation, which could not escape publicity, would be highly embarassing and damaging to our relationship
with the Unofficials who are already sensitive about their
position in the context of the future.
5. The Home Office and FCO Legal Advisers and Hong Kong
Attorney General share the opinion that there is no legal
objection as such to 'British national' in passports. Unofficials fully aware of this, which would make refusal e.g. on grounds that it would undermine purpose of BNA,
/implausible
CONFIDENTIAL