CONFIDENTIAL
5073
1
BACKGROUND
4.
THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG WAS ACCOMPANIED BY AN EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA BETWEEN HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SETTING OUT THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS AS TO THE STATUS OF BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS IN HONG KONG AND RELATED ISSUES (CMND 9352). HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT IN THEIR MEMORANDUM STATE THAT ALL THOSE WHO ON 30 JUNE 1997 ARE BDTC BY VIRTUE OF A CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG WILL CEASE TO HAVE THAT STATUS FROM 1 JULY 1997, BUT WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RETAIN AN APPROPRIATE STATUS WHICH WILL ENABLE THEM TO CONTINUE TO USE BRITISH PASSPORTS, PROVIDED THAT THEY HOLD OR ARE INCLUDED IN SUCH A PASSPORT BEFORE 1 JULY 1997 (OR 31 DECEMBER 1997 IF BORN IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THAT YEAR). BDT CITIZENSHIP WILL NOT BE ACQUIRED ON OR AFTER 1 JULY 1997 BY VIRTUE OF A CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG. ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE FOR THE RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE NEW PASSPORTS BY UNITED KINGDOM CONSULAR OFFICERS, AND FOR THE HOLDERS OF SUCH PASSPORTS TO RECEIVE BRITISH CONSULAR PROTECTION WHEN IN THIRD COUNTRIES. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IN THEIR MEMORANDUM STATE THAT ALL HONG KONG CHINESE COMPATRIOTS, WHETHER THEY ARE HOLDERS OF THE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZEN (BDTC) PASSPORT OR NOT, ARE CHINESE NATIONALS. BUT TAKING ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF HONG KONG AND ITS REALITIES, THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WILL, FROM 1 JULY 1997, PERMIT CHINESE NATIONALS IN HONG KONG WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY BDTCS TO USE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRAVELLING TO OTHER STATES AND REGIONS. 5.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM MEMORANDUM, THE NEW NATIONALITY STATUS WILL NOT BE TRANSMISSIBLE TO ANY SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS AND ONLY THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY BDTCS BY VIRTUE OF A CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG ON 30 JUNE 1997 MAY ACQUIRE IT. IN ADDITION THE STATUS IN QUESTION WILL BE HELD ONLY BY THOSE PEOPLE WHO BEFORE 1 JULY 1997 (OR 31 DECEMBER 1997 IF BORN IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THAT YEAR) WILL HAVE ACQUIRED OR WHO ARE INCLUDED IN A PASSPORT APPROPRIATE TO THAT STATUS.
3
CONFIDENTIAL
STME.
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