RESTRICTED
6. ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS AND THE EXPRESS (BOTH INDEPENDENT) YESTERDAY STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCEPTABILITY OF THE NEW PASSPORT, AND URGED BRITAIN BOTH TO SEEK THIRD COUNTRIES' RECOGNITION, AND TO ABANDON ITS 'DISCRIMINATORY ATTITUDE TOWARD THE ENTRY OF BDTC/BNO PASSPORT HOLDERS. THE EXPRESS WARNED THAT IT WAS BEYOND BRITAIN'S POWER TO GUARANTEE THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE NEW PASSPORT. HK DAILY NEWS (INDEPENDENT) TODAY TOOK A MORE POSITIVE VIEW, SEEING THE BNO PASSPORT AND THE HK SAR PASSPORT TOGETHER AS A ''DOUBLE GUARANTEE FOR FREEDOM OF TRAVEL.
7. TIN TIN DAILY NEWS WAS THE ONLY PRO-CHINA PAPER TO COMMENT, SUGGESTING THREE WAYS TO RESOLVE THE QUESTION OF RIGHT OF ABODE
FOR BNOS:
1) BNOS SHOULD URGE UMELCO TO FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHT OF ABODE IN BRITAIN WHICH SHOULD BE STATED IN THE FUTURE PASSPORT. 11) PEOPLE SHOULD ABANDON THE SO-CALLED BNO STATUS' AND
BECOME CHINESE CITIZENS AFTER 1997.
111) BRITAIN COULD TRY TO SEEK PEKING'S AGREEMENT ON HUMANITARIAN GROUNDS TO ALLOW PEOPLE OF BNO STATUS DEPORTED BY THIRD COUNTRIES TO RETURN TO HONG KONG OR TO ALLOW THEM TO CHANGE TO CHINESE NATIONALITY IMMEDIATELY AND SO RETURN TO HONG KONG.
YOUDE
HONG KONG AGREEMENT
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
HD/PUSD
DEP HD/PUSD
RESEARCH DEPT (MR WALKER) PS
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING
MR WILSON
SIR J FREELAND
MR J CROWLEY, PUSD
RESTRICTED
COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)
MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR BURROWS, LEGAL ADVISERS
MR MARTIN, ASST STAFF CABINET
OFFICE
MR CARTLEDGE. CABINET OFFICE MR D B C CHRISTOPHER, CABINET OFF. SIR P CRADOCK, NO 10 DOWNING ST MR EMERY B.4 H.O. CROYDON (2) MR HYDE, HOME OFFICE HKGO, LONDON
CODE 18-77