ME 3AAO
ONG KONG:
NATIONALITY
CONFIDENTIAL
POINTS TO MAKE WITH EXCO AND HKG OFFICIALS
T
"1. Order in Council
on nationality will be introduced within one year of passage of Hong Kong Act. This will be subject to full debate in both Houses of Parliament. Most likely timing is Autumn.
2. HMG take very seriously their obligation to ensure that BN(O) passports will be as readily acceptable as BDTC passports. We shall mount a major exercise to achieve this prior to issue of the new
passports.
[DEFENSIVE]
Statelessness
3. The Government's position is that no former Hong Kong British Dependent Territories citizen nor any child born on or after 1 July
1997 to such a person should be made stateless as a result of amendments to the British Nationality Act envisaged in Hong Kong Act. Furthermore second generation children whose grandparents Hong Kong BDTCs before 1997 and who would otherwise be stateless will enjoy a similar entitlement to acquire British nationality to that which they would have had under the British Nationality Act their parents had remained BDTCs. These arrangements provide an
avenue for the continuation of a form of British nationality until approximately the middle of the twenty first century. The right course at that time for those who are permanently settled in what
will then be a part of China will be for them to become Chinese nationals. We have made clear that we intend to approach the
Chinese Government, seeking to ensure that the descendants of
non-Chinese former BDTCs will be able to obtain Chinese nation
(under Article 7 of the Chinese Nationality Law) if the)
So.
Ease right of entry to the UK?
降。
Hong Kong agreement guarantees right of abode in Hong Kon 1997 to persons who have been ordinarily resident in Hong Kong continuous period of 7 years or more and who have taken Hon their place of permanent residence, and also to persons who
CONFIDENTIAL