CONFIDENTIAL
2
機密
11
have
documents..
• •
entered Hong Kong
with valid travel
2.
The British side are
concerned to note that the
paragraph 2(4) of Article 24 has now
revised version of
been
approved by the Ninth Plenary Meeting of the Basic Law
Drafting Committee.
As the Chinese side are aware the
British side place great importance as a matter of
principle on there being full consistency between the terms
of the Basic Law and those of the Joint Declaration. But
in this instance, we are also particularly concerned at the
practical consequences of the change which has been made.
As now worded this Article would deny to persons who are
not of Chinese nationality, who were born in Hong Kong and
have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for at least seven
years, the right to acquire right of abode in the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region even though they wish to take
Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence.
Similarly, persons under 21 years of age who were born of
such persons in Hong Kong could not, contrary to the
provision in the Joint Declaration, obtain the right of
abode in the HKSAR. Such persons would not be provided for
by paragraph 2(6) of Article 24, if they were born after
the
establishment
abode elsewhere.
of the HKSAR or if they had the right of
GF 323
CONFIDENTIAL
機密