SECRET?
14.
(b) The PRC, who may take the view that the acknowledgement of Chinese sovereignty involves the ending of any form of British citizenship.
(c) The people of Hong Kong, who, if British
administration is to continue would almost
certainly prefer no change in present citizen-
ship arrangements.
If the Chinese could be brought to accept it, the solution
which would be most likely to preserve confidence in Hong Kong
without damaging UK interests would be the retention of British
Dependent Territories Citizenship (option 1). If this were not
possible a new status such as British Administered Territory
Citizenship (option 5) or a local Hong Kong Citizenship (option 6)
might serve, but would be less likely to command confidence in
Hong Kong and to reduce immigration pressures. Dual citizenship
(option 8) could conceivably be a fallback. Chinese citizenship
(option 7) would be likely to undermine confidence so severely.
that it would result in a large scale exodus, with serious
immigration implications for the UK.
Immigration
15. If new arrangements for continuing British administration
were to command confidence the Hong Kong Government would need
to retain its present control over immigration (except for
This should immigration from China see paragraph 7 above).
be negotiable under a simple acknowledgement of Chinese
sovereignty. If Hong Kong became a Special Administrative
Region of the PRC the Chinese could press for some form of
Chinese control.
- 8
SECRET
1