3
FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 1989
SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUE
* * *
HONG
YOU HAVE HEARD MUCH ABOUT NATIONALITY DURING YOUR STAY IN KONG. I AM SURE YOU CAN BE LEFT IN NO DOUBT ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF THE FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ON
IT. THE CASE HAS BERN PUT FORCEFULLY AND ELOQUENTLY THAT HONG KONG IS IN A UNIQUE POSITION UNMATCHED BY ANY OTHER BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY. UNLIKE OTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES, INDEPENDENCE WAS NEVER AN OPTION FOR HONG KONG AND AS A RESULT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, HONG KONG IS BRING TRANSFORMED FROM A BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY ΤΟ A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF CHINA UNDER THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THAT COUNTRY.
I THINK MANY HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THE FACT THAT MANY MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMITTEE HAVE RECOGNISED THAT
HONG THE THEREFORE THAT KONG SITUATION IS INDEED UNIQUE. IT IS NOT SURPRISING
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION IN THE HONG KONG PEOPLE FEEL THEY MERIT SOME CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THEY, THROUGH NO CHOICE OF THEIR OWN, FIND
CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO THEMSELVES. THEY HAVE SEEN SUCH SPECIAL RESIDENTS OF GIBRALTAR AND THE FALKLAND ISLANDS.
THE
UK
OF
IS A
MUCH PLAY HAS BEEN MADE ON THE POTENTIAL THREE MILLION
A
OF CHANGE
THE IMMIGRANTS FROM HONG KONG THAT COULD FLOW FROM IMMIGRATION RULES. YOU HAVE HEARD THE ARGUMENT PUT THAT THE NUMBER HONG
THE RIGHT KONG PEOPLE EVER LIKELY TO TAKE UP
OF ABODE FRACTION OF THAT NUMBER. IN HARD POLITICAL TERMS YOU HAVE MADE THE POINT THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF ALL THREE MILLION POTENTIAL RISK.
MOVING
IS
A
DIFFERENT VIEW THE RISK IF AND THUS INCLUDING THE UNITED ESCAPED THE PROPLE OF
BUT THE FACT REMAINS THAT PORTUGAL HAS TAKEN A OF THE CITIZENS IN ITS DEPENDENT TERRITORIES, HAS TAKEN YOU LIKE, AND HAS GIVEN THEM THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN PORTUGAL EVENTUALLY FREE ACCESS TO COUNTRIES IN THE EEC KINGDOM. THE IRONY OF THIS SITUATION HAS NOT HONG KONG,
HONG KONG
STILL
CHAIRMAN, I AM SURE THAT THERE CAN BE FEW PEOPLE IN
THE WHO ARE LEFT IN ANY DOUBT AS TO THE VIEWS OF THE UK GOVERNMENT ON QUESTION OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE FOR BDTC'S. THE
OF STATE, SECRETARY AND LORD GLENARTHUR HAVE SIR GEOFFREY HOWE,
RECENTLY MADE THE INTENSE PUBLIC FEELING POSITION VERY CLEAR. BUT GIVEN THE
ON THIS
HONG ISSUE IT IS VERY UNDERSTANDABLE THAT
KONG PEOPLE WOULD TO PUT THEIR VIEWS ON THE RECORD AND INDEED TO CONTINUE TO HOPE THAT PERHAPS SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE THE POLITICAL MOOD IN THE
THIS SUBJECT UNITED KINGDOM ON
HAVE COULD
LITTLE CHANGE. I DOUBT THAT IF THIS WERE ACHIEVABLE IT WOULD HAVE A MARKED IMPACT CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG.
WISH
ON
/BUT ALL -***