CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 752
TO PRIORITY FCO
OF 28100OZ FEBRUARY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
HKC3401
RECEN
~1990
HOT COPY
ST ?
SISTE
IN
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
010602
MDLIAN 2181
UK NATIONALITY PACKAGE: CHINESE VIEWS
1. THE TA KUNG PAO OF 26 FEBRUARY CARRIED AN INTERESTING ARTICLE BY TONG YUK-HON. IF THIS ARTICLE IS INSPIRED, WHICH WE SUSPECT TO BE THE CASE, IT IS A CLEAR SIGN THAT THE CHINESE ARE BEGINNING TO APPRECIATE THE NEED TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE PACKAGE AND INDEED SOME WIDER ISSUES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHINESE NATIONALITY LAW AND THE BASIC LAW.
2. SPECIFICALLY, THE ARTICLE SUGGESTS:
A) THAT THE CHINESE WOULD BE READY TO SET UP AN ORGANISATION IN THE HKSAR TO HANDLE RENUNCIATION OF, AND APPLICATION FOR, CHINESE NATIONALITY:
GIVE
B) THAT THE CHINESE WOULD, IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, FAVOURABLE CONSIDERATION TO APPLICATIONS FOR CHINESE NATIONALITY BY
ETHNIC MINORITIES.
C) THE CHINESE ARE CLEARLY WORRIED BY THE CONFIDENTIALITY WHICH WILL SURROUND THE GRANT OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP UNDER THE PACKAGE AS THIS WOULD EFFECTIVELY PREVENT THEM FROM DETERMINING WHETHER A PERSON HAD OBTAINED HIS PASSPORT UNDER THE UK SCHEME OR BY OTHER ''ACCEPTABLE'' MEANS. IT MAY ALSO UNDERMINE THE RIGHT OF ABODE RESTRICTIONS ON TOP POSTS: AND
D) A POSSIBLE WILLINGNESS TO REGARD BENEFICIARIES OF THE PACKAGE AS FOREIGN NATIONALS, PROVIDED THAT THE FORMALITIES OF RENUNCIATION OF CHINESE NATIONALITY HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.
3. IT IS NOTEWORTHY THAT PARA 5 OF THE ARTICLE IMPLIES THAT BENEFICIARIES OF THE PACKAGE COULD FACE THE WORST OF BOTH WORLDS, I.E. THEY WOULD BE REGARDED AS CHINESE NATIONALS BUT HAVE THEIR POLITICAL RIGHTS CURTAILED BECAUSE OF RIGHT OF ABODE ELSEWHERE. ONE OBJECTIVE MAY BE TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM APPLYING FROM BRITISH CITIZENSHIP UNDER THE PACKAGE: BUT THE MAIN AIM WOULD SEEM TO BE TO
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