GRS 450
UNCLASSIFIED
#ha covely
RECEIVED IN REDISTRY - 5 DEC 1985
Dest
FM HONG KONG
INDEX
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2744
2
NGGETRY
tion Taken
TOP COPY
OF 051112Z DECEMBER 85
INFO IMMED MATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING
OUR TELNO 2712 :
524
WHITE PAPER ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986:
LEGCO ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON 4 DECEMBER : SUMMARY OF MEDIA COVERAGE
SUMMARY
1. THE LEGCO ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE WHITE PAPER WAS THE LEAD
ITEM IN THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA ON THE EVENING OF 4 DECEMBER AND IN
THE MEDIA TODAY. MOST PAPERS EMPHASISED IN HEADLINES THAT UNOFF IC HALS
URGED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO TAKE THE LEAD IN RECOGNISING THE
NEW BN (0) PASSPORT BY GRANTING BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS AUTOMATIC
RIGHT OF ENTRY INTO THE UK.
2. WEN WEN PO AND TA KUNG PAO ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THIS THEME ALTHOUGH
THE TWO LEADING LEFT-WING DAILIES GAVE THE STORY ONLY ROUTINE
COVERAGE.
3. OTHER THEMES THAT WERE PROMINENTLY REPORTED INCLUDED THE
FOLLOWING
(A) ACCORD REACHED BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS ON
THE WORDING OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN BN (0) PASSPORT:
(B) NEED FOR BN (0) PASSPORT TO HAVE AN ADEQUATE RIGHT OF ABODE
ENDORSEMENT SO AS TO REMOVE THE NEED FOR THE HOLDER TO PRODUCE HIS
IDENTITY CARD TO SECURE ENTRY INTO THIRD COUNTRIES:
(C) NEED TO GIVE SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION TO THE REQUEST FOR RIGHT
OF ABODE IN THE UK FROM NON-CHINESE BDTCS:
(D) NEED TO SAFEGUARD THE CONTINUED CASE OF TRAVEL OF HOLDERS OF
CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY AFTER 1997 AND THE NEED TO RELAX THE
CRITERIA FOR NATURALISATION AS BDTCS: AND
/(E)
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