From The Minister of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
12 February 1986
Dear Av. Cheong - Leen.
123
Thank you for your letter of 24 January. I was glad to have the opportunity to visit Hong Kong (albeit briefly) for a second time so soon after becoming Minister of State a few months ago. I was particularly pleased to meet you and UMELCO members again and hear your views on current issues of major concern to Hong Kong.
Your points about "convergence",
convergence", and the need for HMG to take full account of the views of all Hong Kong people, are well taken. I hope that we have the basis of such a convergence of views in the fact that both we (in the 1987 review) and the Chinese (in their drafting of the Basic Law) will be taking account of the views of all shades of Hong Kong opinion.
On the three nationality questions raised by LEGCO I hope that I made the position clear at my press conference on leaving Hong Kong. Ministers have undertaken to consider the position of the ethnic minorities and the ex-servicemen, and a delegation of Hong Kong Government officials has visited the UK to provide further information. Ministers will now consider these matters further. On the endorsement in the BN (0) passport, providing a satisfactory formula can be found, the Government will agree to the position being made clear in the passports.
On the Conservative Central Office circular to which you refer, I of course take your point that a mass migration of BDTCs from Hong Kong to the UK is not likely.
Hon Hilton Cheong-Leen CBE Chairman
Hong Kong Civic Association D'Aguilar Street
503 Yip Fung Bldg HONG KONG
HKK 027/5
RECEIVED IS REGISTRY
1 1 MAR 1986
DESK OF
INDIA
/Finally
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