SECRET
HUN 340/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY.
- 3 APR 1986
DESK OFFICEZ
HELSTRY
PA
un Taken
CM 26 INDEX
Mr Húm, HKD
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In Shante 2/4. плат
430
تکست
Сп
of
Foreign Secretary's meeting with Home Secretary:
Hong Kong Issues
The Foreign Secretary discussed Hong Kong with the Home Secretary over breakfast this morning, drawing on your comprehensive brief.
NO. 35(1)
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN
CLOSED UNDER 27
FOI EXEMPTION
There was a brief discussion of the proposed concession on non-Chinese BDTCs. The Home Secretary pointed out the difficulty of being precise about the numbers who would in the end be involved. If we had to say no on this point, it would be important to find the right tone for doing so; one formula might be to say individual cases would be looked at on their merits at the time. The Foreign Secretary replied that this concession needed to be considered alongside the passport endorsement. If we could meet Hong Kong wishes over the endorsement, he would not wish to press the Home Secretary over the Indians.
The Home Secretary mentioned the letter from No 10 about the wish of certain very rich Hong Kong residents to acquire British citizenship. The Home Secretary had serious
reservations about the wisdom of acceding to the Prime Minister's understandable wishes. It would be particularly damaging
/potentially to do so if at the same time we were saying no to poor, stateless
non-Chinese BDTCs. There was a short discussion, in the
course of which the Foreign Secretary said that he shared some of the Home Secretary's misgivings. The Home Secretary said that he would be grateful for support when he responded to No 10 on this, and asked in particular whether we could obtain any advice from the Governor on this sensitive issue.
Room wher
(R N Culshaw)
26 March 1986
c.c:
PS/Mr Renton Sir W Harding Dr Wilson
SECRET
".