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In those circumstances, even if formal support could not be provided, I am sure that the British Consulate would want to assist in every possible way, short of all that is provided for in the Hague Convention. But I repeat, it is not for China to say who is a British citizen any more than it is for Britain to say who is a Chinese citizen.
Mrs Selina Chow (in Chinese); Mr President, the Governor made it very clear just now that if a person holds another passport then it is evidence of dual nationality. But of course that particular person has to apply for another passport. If a Hong Kong person has not applied for any other passport, he is just holding the ID card proving that he is a permanent resident of Hong Kong, and he also holds a British passport, he does not have any other passport, then will he be considered as having dual nationality?
Governor: What I can't conceivably do, as the Honourably lady will know, is to say that the only case in which you could demonstrate dual nationality was one in which somebody was an SAR passport holder. Anybody would be exceptionally foolish who tried to define every conceivable circumstance which would provide evidence of dual nationality. What I am saying is as far as the British Government is concerned, as far as the British Consulate-General after 1997 is concerned, holding a British passport entitles you to formal consular protection unless there can be acceptable evidence to the contrary. If we did not take that view I am sure that many people would regard the consequences as being justiciable.
Dr C.H. Leong: Governor, in 1990 the former Foreign Secretary, Douglas Hurd, actually mentioned what you just said and that is, no matter where you get your British citizenship you will get the same consular protection. And I think you mentioned that just now quite succinctly. I think you used that to say that the two types of passport are similar in the sense that the holder of the passport, of British citizenship like yourself and those from the BNS Scheme are similar. But can I put it to you that there are basically some subtle difference or a little bit more than a subtle difference because people who acquired British citizenship like yourself, or anybody not from the BNS Scheme, will not have dual nationality. But those who apply through the BNSS Scheme will, according to what China has always said, will always have dual nationality.
Now of course the crux of the matter, therefore, is dual nationality itself. So, you mentioned just now repeatedly, you said that no one can tell the British Government who is a British citizen. Could I reverse the question and ask you, Governor, who can tell the British Government that a person has dual nationality, and using what method? You mentioned one as an SAR passport but in your mind are there other areas that you would consider?