HUCK 040/4
VER PASTRY
- 7 JAN 1285
9
GR 200
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
No Ifer
FM HONG KONG 070935Z JAN 85
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 45 OF 7 JANUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
PA
Taken
ми
PEKING TELNO 2: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NEW NATIONALITY TITLE.
18
1. AS INDICATED IN PARA 2(A) OF YOUR TELNO 25, THE IMPRESSION GIVEN TO THE CHINESE DURING THE NEGOTIATION OF THE EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA WAS THAT A NEW STATUS WOULD BE CREATED FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOW BDTC'S AND THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A NEW TITLE. IT
IS TRUE MCLAREN TOLD LU PING ON 25 SEPTEMBER, ON INSTRUCTIONS, THAT THE FORM OF BRITISH NATIONALITY TO BE GIVEN TO CHILDREN BORN AFTER 1997 TO FORMER BDTC'S WHO ARE NOT CHINESE NATIONALS
MIGHT BE BOC (YOUR TELNO 1259 AND PEKING TELNO 2527) AND THAT (567,
LU PING RAISED NO OBJECTION TO THIS SUGGESTION. BUT WHILE
MCLAREN RECALLS LU HAVING ENQUIRED AT EARLIER STAGES AS TO WHETHER THE NEW STATUS FOR BDTC'S MIGHT BEAR THE TITLE BOC WE DO NOT THINK THAT LU EVER INDICATED A CHINESE WISH TO SEE US ADOPT THE TITLE BOC FOR PERSONS WHO ARE NOW BDTC'S.
1
2. ON THE OTHER HAND, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE CHINESE ARE LOOKING TO US TO DEVISE SOME GENERIC TITLE (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) LIKE BOC FOR BDTC'S, WHICH DOES NOT HAVE COLONIAL IMPLICATIONS AND DOES NOT OVERTLY LINK HONG KONG WITH BRITAIN, AND WE AGREE WITH PEKING THAT IT WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO CAUSE DIFFICULTIES WITH
THEM IF WE WERE TO SETTLE ON BOC.
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 HARD ING
MR WILSON
SIR J FREELAND
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
MR J CROWLEY, PUSD
CONFIDENTIAL