SECRET
HKB 012/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
24 JAN 1990
DESK OFFICER
47
032547
MDHIAN 3110
SECRET
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 19080OZ FCO
TELNO 103
OF 19072OZ JANUARY 90
INDEX
REGISTRY
RA
Acurom Taken
fm
INFO DESKBY 190800Z HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR MCLAREN, AUSS
HONG KONG STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR
UKREP JLG HONG KONG STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY
YOUR TELNO 51: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
1.
CHINESE REACTION WILL DEPEND ON THE SIZE OF THE GAP WHICH WE ARE UNABLE TO BRIDGE, BUT A FACTOR MAYBE THE WAY OUR MULTILATERAL ACTION IS PRESENTED PUBLICLY. SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF AREAS IN WHICH THEY COULD DAMAGE OUR INTERESTS INCLUDE:
A)
POLITICAL STRUCTURE IN 1997: PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT DISMANTLING ARRANGEMENTS IN THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE MADE BY US ON A PURELY UNILATERAL BASIS. THIS WOULD BE MATCHED BY COVERT PROPOGANDA BOTH IN PEKING AND IN HONG KONG ITSELF, TO THE EFFECT THAT ANYONE WHO SUPPORTED THE BRITISH VIEW OF CONSTITUTIONAL ADVANCE WOULD BE BLACKLISTED AND DEBARRED FROM POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LIFE IN HONG KONG. IN EFFECT WE COULD SEE A CAMPAIGN TO ISOLATE AND HUMILIATE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MACHINE BY ENCOURAGING NON-COOPERATION FOR THOSE WHO WOULD BE LIKELY TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997:
.
B) THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE: PUBLIC CHINESE CRITICISM TO THE EFFECT THAT UNDER THE NATIONALITY LAW OF CHINA ALL HONG KONG CHINESE 'COMPATRIOTS'' WHETHER THEY HOPED TO HOLD UK PASSPORTS OR NOT, WERE CHINESE NATIONALS AND WOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH. IN ANY CASE, EITHER EXPLICITLY OR IMPLICITLY THEY COULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS WOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LIFE IN HONG KONG. THEY COULD ALSO USE EXISTING AND FUTURE COMMERCIAL LEVERAGE TO MAKE THE SAME POINT TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. CONSEQUENCE: NATIONALITY PACKAGE WILL ACTUALLY POLICIES AND EMIGRATE TO THE UK AS SOON AS THEY CAN. SIMILAR SCRAMBLES FOR FOREIGN PASSPORTS. FURTHER PRESSURE FOR INWARD IMMIGRATION TO UK:
BENEFICIARIES OF THE
CASH IN' THEIR INSURANCE
T
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