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CHINESE WHO HAVE ACQUIRED BRITISH CITIZENSHIP UNDER THE UK SCHEME, FROM THOSE WHO HAVE DONE SO AS A RESULT OF SETTLEMENT IN THE UK OR BY OTHER MEANS, SUCH AS S.4(5): AND
(D) WOULD THEREFORE URGE CHINESE SIDE TO AGREE THAT PERSONS WHO HAVE ACQUIRED FOREIGN CITIZENSHIP WITHOUT HAVING SETTLED ABROAD ANDS WHO WISH TO BE REGARDED AS FOREIGN NATIONALS IN THE SAR SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO RENOUNCE THEIR CHINESE NATIONALITY THROUGH AN APPROPRIATE MECHANISM.
7. WHILE WE ACCEPT THE POINTS IN PARA. 4 OF TUR THAT IT WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAKE HEADWAY WITH ARGUMENTS THAT BENEFICIARIES OF THE NATIONALITY SCHEME SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK TO BRITISH CONSULAR PROTECTION IN THE SAR AND THE PRC GENERALLY, WE SHOULD CLEARLY NOT, AT THIS STAGE, GIVE ANY HINT THAT WE WOULD WILLINGLY ACQUIESCE IN A SITUATION IN WHICH BRITISH CITIZENS WERE NOT ACCORDED FULL RECOGNITION IN ALL RESPECTS. OUR VIEW IS THAT, IF THEY HAVE DONE SO ALREADY, THE CHINESE WILL SOON COME TO REALISE THAT SUCH A POSITION WOULD PRESENT THEM WITH ENDLESS COMPLICATIONS IN DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN CHINESE AND FOREIGN NATIONALS IN THE SAR, AND BETWEEN THOSE WHO SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE DEEMED TO HAVE ACQUIRED RIGHT OF ABODE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. SUCH QUESTIONS WOULD NOT/NOT BE PURELY ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS, BUT COULD INVOLVE THEM IN REPEATED DIPLOMATIC HAGGLES WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES CONCERNED.
8. MIFT CONTAINS A SUMMARY OF THE POINTS MADE BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY IN RESPONSE TO PRESS QUESTIONS FOLLOWING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF AN EXHIBITION HONG KONG INTO THE NINETIES'' MORNING.
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