CONFIDENTIAL
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IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO PROVIDE TIME FOR DEBATES IN
BOTH HOUSES ON THIS WHITE PAPER AND THE ANNEXED DRAFT ORDER. ANY
AMENDMENTS WHICH ARE SOUGHT (INSOFAR AS THESE ARE CONSISTENT WITH
THE AGREEMENT AND THE ACT) WILL BE CONSIDERED BEFORE THE ORDER IS
RE-PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL BY RESOLUTION OF EACH HOUSE OF
PARLIAMENT.
3. THE DRAFT ORDER ANNEXED TO THIS WHITE PAPER HAS BEEN SEEN BY
THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG WHO HAVE ADVISED THE GOVERNOR
OF HONG KONG THAT IT IS ACCEPTABLE. THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDER THAT
THE WIDEST POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOW BE GIVEN TO ITS
PROPOSALS BOTH IN HONG KONG AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.
ACCORDINGLY IT HAS ARRANGED FOR THIS WHITE PAPER TO BE PUBLISHED
SIMULTANEOUSLY BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. IT INTENDS TO ALLOW
SUFFICIENT TIME FOR OPINION TO BECOME KNOWN BEFORE INITIATING TH
DEBATES REFERRED TO IN THE PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH. TO ASSIST THE
PROCESS OF PUBLIC CONSIDERATION THE REST OF THIS WHITE PAPER
SKETCHES IN THE BACKGROUND OF INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATION AND LEGAL
REQUIREMENT WITH WHICH THE NEW NATIONALITY PROVISIONS MUST ACCORD
AND PROVIDES A COMMENTARY ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE DRAFT ORDER.
BACKGROUND
4. THE AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WAS ACCOMPANIED BY
AN EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS WHICH SET
OUT THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS AS TO NATIONALITY BY VIRTUE OF A
CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG (CMND 9352). THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT
STATED ITS VIEW THAT ALL HONG KONG CHINESE COMPATRIOTS, WHETHER
BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZEN (BDTC) PASSPORT HOLDERS OR
NOT, ARE CHINESE NATIONALS. BUT IN VIEW OF THE HISTORY OF HONG
KONG AND ITS REALITIES, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WILL PERMIT
CHINESE NATIONALS IN HONG KONG TO CONTINUE TO USE TRAVEL
DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. THE UK
GOVERNMENT FOR ITS PART STATED THAT ALL THOSE WHO ON 30 JUNE 1997
ARE BDTCS BY 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 OBTAIN SUCH A PASSPORT
BEFORE 1 JULY 1997 (OR 31 DECEMBER 1997 IF BORN IN THE FIRST SIX
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CONFIDENTIAL