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APPLIES TO ANY SPECIALIST SUB-GROUPS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP
WHICH MAY BE SET UP BY COMMON AGREEMENT.
WORKING PROCEDURES?
30) NOT YET DETERMINED. ANNEX II TO JOINT DECLARATION LAYS DOWN GUIDELINES FOR JOINT LIAISON GROUP. IT SAYS THAT GROUP'S WORKING PROCEDURES WILL BE DISCUSSED AND DECIDED UPON BY THE TWO SIDES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THESE GUIDELINES.
J.
EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA
WHY EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA? STATUS?
31) THE TWO GOVERNMENTS AGREED THAT SEPARATE EXCHANGE OF
MEMORANDA WAS MOST APPROPRIATE WAY OF DEALING WITH NATIONALITY
QUESTIONS. IS ASSOCIATED WITH JOINT DECLARATION AND PART OF
PACKAGE AS A WHOLE. COMPRISES UNILATERAL STATEMENTS SETTING OUT
THE POSITION OF EACH SIDE. AS SUCH EACH REPRESENTS UNILATERAL
POLITICAL COMMITMENT. WORDING OF EACH MEMORANDUM AGREED WITH
OTHER SIDE. TEXTS INITIALLED ON SAME OCCASION AS TEXT OF
AGREEMENT.
NEED TO AMEND BNA?
32) AMENDMENTS TO BNA WILL BE NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT PROPOSALS IN
UK MEMORANDUM. THESE WILL BE PUT TO THE HOUSE IN DUE COURSE.
IMPLICATIONS FOR IMMIGRATION?
33) ONLY 20,000 BRITISH CITIZENS IN HONG KONG. BDTCS HAVE NO
RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK, AND WILL NOT HAVE IT UNDER THE NEW STATUS IN 1997. OUR EFFORTS HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO ACHIEVE
CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH PEOPLE WILL NOT WISH TO LEAVE HONG KONG.
BELIEVE AGREEMENT DOES THAT.
NATIONALITY PROVISIONS UNSATISFACTORY TO THOSE VALUING BDTC
STATUS?
34) HONG KONG BDTCS WILL BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE NEW FORM OF BRITISH
NATIONALITY THAT CARRIES SAME RIGHTS AS BDTC STATUS EXCEPT FOR
TRANSMISSION BY DESCENT. HOLDERS OF NEW STATUS WILL BE ABLE TO USE BRITISH PASSPORTS, BE ELIGIBLE FOR BRITISH CONSULAR PROTECTION IN THIRD COUNTRIES. CLEARLY INAPPROPRITE TO EXTEND
BDTC STATUS WHEN HONG KONG NO LONGER A DEPENDENT TERRITORY.
STATELESSNESS?
35)
PROVISION WILL BE MADE IN RELEVANT LEGISLATION FOR CHILDREN
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CONFIDENTIAL