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043455 MDLIAN 2495
9. THE GOVERNOR, DECLINED TO DISCLOSE THE SUBSTANCE OF DISCUSSIONS OVER THE FUTURE POLITICAL STRUCTURE BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA, THE MEDIA (18.1) REPORTED. SIR DAVID SAID THAT IT IS NOT A QUESTION IN ANY WAY, AT ANY TIME, OF TRADING OFF HONG KONG'S INTERESTS'. HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS TRYING TO ACHIEVE IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY FORWARD ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. BRITAIN AND CHINA WERE STILL HOLDING TALKS ON THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE BETWEEN THE TERRITORY'S POLITICAL SYSTEMS BEFORE AND AFTER 1997, SEVERAL PAPERS (23.1) REPORTED. A FEW PAPERS (23.1) QUOTED AN FCO SPOKESMAN IN HONG KONG, CHRISTOPHER OSBORNE, AS SAYING THAT BRITAIN WAS NOW HOLDING DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINA ON HONG KONG'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE THROUGH DIPLOMATIC AND HIGH-LEVEL CHANNELS.
VISIT BY FOREIGN SECRETARY
10. THE MEDIA (17.1) ACCORDED PROMINENT AND EXTENSIVE COVERAGE TO A PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY THE FOREIGN SECRETARY BEFORE HIS RETURN TO BRITAIN. HIS REMARKS ON FUTURE CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS WERE GENERALLY PLAYED UP IN THE MEDIA. MANY REPORTS HIGHLIGHTED HIS REMARK THAT IF AN AGREEMENT ON HONG KONG'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT COULD NOT BE REACHED WITH CHINA, BRITAIN WOULD START TO SPEED UP THE PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION NEXT YEAR IN ACCORDANCE WITH HONG KONG PEOPLE'S VIEWS.
NATIONALITY PACKAGE
11. MING PAO (18.1), QUOTING SOURCES CLOSE TO THE GOVERNMENT, SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN TRYING TO PERSUADE CHINA THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS TO HELP ENCOURAGE HONG KONG TALENT TO STAY BEHIND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE. THE SOURCES SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR AND THE CHIEF SECRETARY WERE PERSONALLY HANDLING THE MATTER. THE PAPER QUOTED THE FCO SPOKESMAN IN HONG KONG AS SAYING THAT THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE WOULD POSE PROBLEMS OVER THE QUESTION OF DUAL NATIONALITY UNDER CHINESE NATIONALITY LAWS. HE SAID WHETHER THE NATIONALITY SCHEME WOULD CONTRAVENE THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS LIKELY TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE JLG. HE STRESSED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT ACCEPT CHINA'S ARGUMENT THAT THOSE HONG KONG PEOPLE WHO WERE BENEFICIARIES OF THE NATIONALITY SCHEME WOULD NOT BE ENTITLED TO CONSULAR PROTECTION IN HONG KONG.
12. AN FCO SPOKESMAN IN LONDON SAID THAT THOSE HONG KONG PEOPLE TO BE GIVEN FULL BRITISH PASSPORTS WOULD NOT ENJOY CONSULAR PROTECTION IF THEY DID NOT RENOUNCE THEIR CHINESE CITIZENSHIP AFTER 1997, MING PAO REPORTED. IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS FROM THE PAPER, THE SPOKESMAN
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