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FEW MONTHS SHOULD KEEP THIS OBJECTIVE FIRMLY IN VIEW. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MEANS OF HELPING TO ENSURE THAT THE UK NATIONALITY PACKAGE, AND SIMILAR SCHEMES INTRODUCED BY OTHER GOVERNMENTS, ACHIEVE THEIR OBJECTIVE OF ANCHORING IN HONG KONG THOSE WITH A VITAL ROLE IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THE TERRITORY'S PROSPERITY AND
STABILITY UPTO BEYOND 1997.
4. IN STRICT LOGIC, THE ONLY DISTINCTION BETWEEN CHINESE ACCEPTANCE AND NON-ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOREIGN NATIONALITY OF BENEFICIARIES OF THESE SCHEMES LIES IN THE RIGHT OR LACK OF RIGHT TO CONSULAR PROTECTION, WHICH IN REALITY PROVIDES FAR FEWER BENEFIT THAN MANY HERE MAY IMAGINE. BUT THERE IS A MORE FUNDAMENTAL WORRY, WHICH IS THAT THOSE NOT RECOGNISED AS FOREIGNERS MIGHT IN PRACTICE SUFFER DISCRIMINATION IN FUTURE, WHICH THE CHINESE WOULD BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT INFLICTING ON FOREIGNERS. MANY EVEN FEAR, DESPITE THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, THAT IT THE WORST CAME TO PASS THEIR FREEDOM OF TRAVEL COULD BE RESTRICTED IF THEY WERE NOT RECOGNISED AS FOREIGN
NATIONALS.
POSSIBLE MEANS OF ACHIEVING OBJECTIVE
5. WE HAVE IDENTIFIED TWO POSSIBLE METHODS BY WHICH OUR OBJECTIVE COULD BE ACHIEVED, UPON WHICH WE WOULD WELCOME YOUR VIEWS:
(A) RENUNCIATION OF CHINESE NATIONALITY
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THIS APPROACH, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN TOUCHED ON IN OUR TELNOS 3965 HKD OF DECEMBER 1989 AND 256, WOULD INVOLVE PERSUADING THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO ALLOW INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ACQUIRED FOREIGN CITIZENSHIP IN HONG KONG TO RENOUNCE THEIR CHINESE NATIONALITY UNDER ARTICLE 10(3) OF THE CNL, WHICH PERMITS RENUNCIATION OF CHINESE NATIONALITY FOR ''OTHER LEGITIMATE REASONS'' WE HAVE CONCLUDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE CHINESE ARE UNLIKELY TO COUNTENANCE THE PROSPECT OF TENS OR EVEN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE LINING UPTO RENOUNCE THEIR CHINESE NATIONALITY. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THAT A MECHANISM FOR RENUNCIATION OF CHINESE NATIONALITY COULD NOT EASILY BE INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG UNTIL AFTER 1997 (GIVEN THAT WE CONSIDER HONG KONG BDTCS AND BNOS TO BE BRITISH), BUT BENEFICIARIES OF THE UK AND SIMILAR SCHEMES WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY LIKE REASSURANCE AS TO THEIR FUTURE STATUS IN THE EYES OF THE CPG WELL BEFORE 1997. WITHOUT IT THERE IS A LIKELIHOOD THAT MANY WILL NOT
REMAIN IN HONG KONG BEYOND THAT DATE.
(B) THOSE VOLUNTARILY ACQUIRING FOREIGN CITIZENSHIP TO BE DEEMED TO
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