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CONFIDENTIAL
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BORN AFTER 1 JULY 1997 TO FORMER HONG KONG BDTCS WHO ARE NOT CHINESE NATIONALS TO ACQUIRE BRITISH NATIONALITY AT BIRTH IF THEY WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS.
K.
RELATED QUESTIONS
APPOINTMENT OF HONG KONG CHINESE GOVERNOR BEFORE 1997?
36) NOT COVERED BY AGREEMENT. EXACT DIRECTION OF EVOLUTION IN
SUCH ASPECTS OF HONG KONG'S GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE UP TO 1997 WILL BE A MATTER FOR BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS TAKING FULL ACCOUNT OF VIEWS OF PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
WHY NO INTRODUCTION OF A MINISTERIAL SYSTEM?
37) THIS ISSUE RAISES IMPORTANT CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTIONS. IT IS NOT A MATTER THAT CAN BE DECIDED IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE NOR IS IT THE ONLY WAY OF PROCEEDING. IT WILL THEREFORE BE CONSIDERED AT A LATER STAGE.
ASSURANCES GIVEN BY HMG TO THOSE IN SENSITIVE POSTS
38)
HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE JOINT
DECLARATION WHICH THEY HAVE INITIALLED WITH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC
OF CHINA WILL ALLAY MUCH OF THE ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE WHICH
HAS BEEN FELT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS IN HONG KONG. THEY ARE
ALSO CONFIDENT THAT THOSE WHO MAKE THEIR HOME IN HONG KONG WILL REGARD ITS TERMS AS GIVING THEM A BASIS ON WHICH THEY CAN CONTINUE TO LIVE, WORK AND RAISE THEIR CHILDREN THERE. (OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS) IF PRESSED (CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS) AS SECRETARY OF STATE SAID IN RADIO INTERVIEW ON 26 SEPTEMBER, IN CERTAIN VERY LIMITED CASES CERTAIN RIGHTS WILL EXIST UNDER THE
DISCRETION OF THE HOME SECRETARY BUT THAT WILL BE ON A VERY LIMITED BASIS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO SPECIAL
CONSIDERATIONS AND SPECIAL FACTORS. IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO DISLOSE THE CATEGORIES AND NUMBERS OF PEOPLE INVOLVED OR THE SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND FACTORS CONCERNED.
WHY WAS A REFERENDUM NOT HELD TO TEST ACCEPTABILITY OF DRAFT
AGREEMENT?
IN THE SPECIAL
39) VERY REAL DRAWBACKS TO A REFERENDUM.
POLITICAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG, IMPORTANT TO AVOID RISK OF PROVOKING FACTIONAL DIVISIONS OR DISTURBANCES WHICH COULD LEAVE
THE RESULTS OF A REFERENDUM OPEN TO REAL DOUBT. MOREOVER, IN
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CONFIDENTIAL