GRS 250
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
CON.IDENTIAL HAYL 0404 ник
TO DESKBY 071200Z FCO
TELNO 53
OF 071055Z JANUARY 86
MNFO DESKBY 08010OZ PEKING
is
31
RECEIVE REGISTRY
22
DES/FICER
REGISTRY
COPY
INDEX
PA.
Action Taken
- 8 JAN 1986
YOUR TELNO 27 AND MIPT: WHITE PAPER ON THE DRAFT NATIONALITY
ORDER 1986
I HAVE DEALT WITH YOUR FIRST POINT ON THE 'UNQUALIFIED'' RIGHT OF BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDERS TO VISIT THE UK IN MIPT.
2. AS REGARDS THE SECOND POINT SEMICOLON YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT WE SEE FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP FOR THOSE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS AS DIVISINE HAS BEEN CORRECT BUT IN THE DISCUSSIONS IN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL THIS MORNING WAS ASSURED BY MEMBERS THAT, FROM THE IR SOUNDINGS OF PUBLIC OPINION, AS THEIR LETTER MAKES CLEAR THIS WOULD NOT BE SO. NOR, AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A NON-CHINESE MINORITY, DO THINK THAT TO GRANT FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP TO THOSE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS WOULD BE SEEN AS A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN THE JOINT DECLARATION. EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO RECOGNISE THAT TO ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVE THERE WILL HAVE TO BE DISCUSSION WITH HMG ON SUCH TECHNICAL MATTERS AS WHO WOULD QUALIFY. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES ANY REASON FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT NOT BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSITION NO LONGER EXISTS.
3. GIVEN THE ENDORSEMENT TO THE PROPOSITIONS IN MISS DUNN'S LETTER GIVEN BY EXCO THIS MORNING, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR OFFICIALS TO FAIL TO SUPPORT THE MOTION. TO TAKE SOME ACCOUNT, HOWEVER, OF THE DIFFICULTIES YOU FORESEE, IN INFORMING LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO SO, THE CHIEF SECRETARY IN HIS SPEECH WILL QUALIFY IT TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE ARE STILL CERTAIN TECHNICAL MATTERS WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE DISCUSSED BETWEEN THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT AND HMG.
YOUDE
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/NTD
RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)
DEP HD/PUSD
PS
PS/MR RENTON
PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING MR WILSON
COPIES TO:
MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT
MR FIFOOT,
LEGAL ADVISERS
MR GRAINGER, LEGAL ADVISERS
MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD
MR HYDE, HOME OFFICE
MF EMERY, B4 DIV, HOME OFFICE, CROYDON
MR NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE,
ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.
MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE
MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS
CONFIDENTIAL