HONG KONG BACKGROUND BRIEF: JULY 1990
HONG KONG: POLITICAL
A. NATIONALITY
1.
Nationality has long been a sensitive issue in Hong
Kong. There is considerable resentment there that British
nationals in Hong Kong are subject to UK immigration
control, and do not have the right to enter Britain freely
and settle here.
2. The total population of Hong Kong is 5.73 million (of
which 43% were born after 1962). About 3.28 million of them
are British Dependent Territories Citizens (BDTC) by virtue of birth or naturalisation in Hong Kong.
Post-1997 position
3. The nationality and immigration position of Hong Kong
BDTCS after 1997 was addressed in the two Memoranda
exchanged by HMG and the Chinese Government when the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed. The British
Memorandum recognised that no-one could continue to derive
BDTC status from a connection with Hong Kong after it ceased
to be a British dependent territory. Accordingly, the new
status of British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(0)) was created
under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986. This
status, which does not carry the right of abode in the UK,
can only be acquired before 1 July 1997 and is not
transmissible to the holder's children thereafter.
Chinese Memorandum states that "Hong Kong Chinese
compatriots", whether or not they hold BDTC passports (and
by extension BN (0) passports), are considered by the Chinese
Government to be Chinese nationals and will not be entitled
to British consular protection in Hong Kong or other parts
of China after 30 June 1997. At present about 60,000 people
The
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