CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 14093OZ
FROM PEKING 140705Z JAN 85
TO NIMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 43 OF 14/1/85
#INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
(37
no. Pr
No
ми
HONG KONG TELNO 97: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NEW NATIONALITY TOTLE
1. F THE CHINESE ARE CONTENT WITH THE TITLE ''BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS)'' WE WOULD EXPECT THEM TO CONSIDER A TRANSLATION OF T FOR THE PURPOSE OF LOCAL USE AND EXPLANATION IN HONG KONG TO BE A MATTER FOR US. ACCORDINGLY, WE THINK THEY COULD LIVE WITH ENTHER YNGGUO GUOMIN (HAHWARE) OR YANGGUO GONGMIN (HAMWA) THEY MIGHT PREFER THE LATTER ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT WOULD BE MORE READILY UNDERSTOOD IN CHINA GENERALLY. THE TERM ''GUOMIN'' HIS NOT USED IN THE MAINLAND NATIONALENTY LAW.
2. PARAGRAPH 3 OF TUR: ASSUMING THAT EXCO CONFIRM ACCEPTANCE OF **BRITHISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS)'' ## RECOMMEND THAT #BE INSTRUCTED TO CALL ON ZHOU NAN TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
>
(A) REFER TO YOUR DISCUSSION OF THIS SUBJECT WHETH WU ON 19 DECEMBER AND ZHOU ON 20 DECEMBER (PEKING TELNO 2048 AND HONG KONG TELNO 3836),
(B) SAY THAT IN THE LIGHT OF CHINESE DIFFICULTIES WITH OUR ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WE HAD RECONSIDERED THE THITLE AND CONCLUDED THAT OUR REQUIREMENTS COULD BE MET WHITH 'BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS)'',
(C) POINT OUT THAT AS THIS TITLE CONTAINED NO SUGGESTION OF ANY LINK BETWEEN THE UK AND HONG KONG AFTER 1997, WE EXPECTED THAT HIT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHAMESE SIDE.
(D) ADD THAT FOR LOCAL USE #N HONG KONG WE HINTENDED TO ADOPT A DIRECT TRANSLATION.
THOMSON
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 HARD ING
MR WILSON
SIR J FREELAND
MR J CROWLEY, PUSD
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 COLVIN, CABINET OFFICE
SIR P CRADOCK, NO 10 DOWNING ST
CONFIDENTIAL
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