UNCLASSIFIED
867211
MDLIAN 2883
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2516
OF 140945Z AUGUST 90
امات
HK6301
16 AUG 1990
TOP COPY DIST?
pa.
is
CS 1578
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, UKMIS GENEVA INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO GENEVA INFO ROUTINE HKGO SAN FRANCISCO
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE : WEEKLY ROUNDUP
SUMMARY
1. NEWS RELATING TO THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY RECEIVED SPARSE MEDIA COVERAGE DURING THE WEEK.
2. THE SCM POST (8.8) REPORTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONSIDERING SOME FLEXIBLE ARRANGEMENTS TO ALLOW ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS TO DEFER THEIR DECISIONS ON WHETHER TO ACQUIRE BRITISH NATIONALITY. ONE OPTION THAT THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT CONSIDER WAS TO ALLOW THEM TO TAKE THE PASSPORTS ON OFFER CLOSER TO 1997. AN IDEA BEING MOOTED WAS FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES INSTEAD OF PASSPORTS TO THOSE OFFICERS AFTER THEIR APPLICATIONS WERE GRANTED. LI PENG TOLD NEWSMEN AT A PRESS CONFERENCE IN JAKARTA THAT ALL IMPORTANT QUESTIONS CONCERNING HK IN THE TRANSITION SHOULD BE DISCUSSED BY CHINA AND BRITAIN, THE MEDIA REPORTED. HE POINTED OUT THAT SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT WAS SPELT OUT IN THE JD. HE SAID THAT ANY VIOLATION OF THIS POLICY WOULD UNDERMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF FINDING A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION.
3. QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, THE HK DAILY NEWS (11.8) REPORTED THAT THE DEPLOYMENT OF FORMER SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHINESE TEAM ON THE JLG KE ZAISHUO TO HK TO JOIN THE NCNA HK BRANCH TO EXAMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF FORMING A CORE OF PERSONNEL TO RUN THE FUTURE HK SAR WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE. THE CHINESE FEARED THAT THE SAR WOULD BE LED BY THE BRITISH, CREATING A SITUATION IN WHICH ''BRITISH NATIONALS RUN HK' THE SOURCES SAID THE CHINESE HOPED THAT CIVIL SERVANTS IN HK WOULD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ANNOUNCE THEIR DETERMINATION TO REMAIN AS CHINESE CITIZENS AND TO REJECT THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK. IF CIVIL SERVANTS WHO RENOUNCED THEIR BRITISH NATIONALITY COULD DEMONSTRATE THEIR ABILITY, THEY WOULD BE TRUSTED AND RECOGNISED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
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