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dual
nationality.
were
We know that at
insisting that
one
an arrangement
point
the
to the
similar
Chinese Hong Kong solution must be adopted (ie the Chinese recognise Hong Kong people's British passports as travel documents for some purposes). However at the sixth meeting of the Joint
the Group,
Chinese told us informally that they
Liaison
expected Portuguese favour".
the
nationality question
We
"resolved
are not yet sure what this
to be
in the
means in
practice.
(c)
Lesser
difficulties had
arisen
over the
lack
of suitable
local
(i.e.
ethnic
Chinese) administrators
in
Macau;
the
position of the Catholic Church; the role of the Portuguese
language;
of continuation
and
the
Portuguese
cultural
influence. These issues reflect the Portuguese wish to leave
"with dignity".
THE HONG KONG ANGLE
4.
as soon as
Arrangements for Macau will be scrutinised closely in Hong
Kong
Macau is Any belief that they are made public. getting a better deal than Hong Kong would be bad for confidence in Hong Kong. We emphasised to the Chinese the need to take account of confidence in Hong Kong in shaping a Macau agreement and they seem to have taken the point well.
5.
law Macanese
holders
of
a
more
in are
far as access to
we
The nationality issue may be particularly delicate for us in terms of Macau/Hong Kong comparisons. Under Portuguese nationality
Portuguese passports favourable position than are BDTCs under UK law as the metropolitan country is concerned. Since they also have access to the Community as nationals of a member state for EC purposes, have a difficult situation in which Macanese holders of Portugeuse passports can come to the UK to live and work, but Hong Kong holders of British passports cannot. We have already signalled our concern, in an EC context, at the possibility of an influx of Macau residents to the EC. The Portuguese have told us that they are considering
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