XN000022-1987-04-08 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1987

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MR JEAFFRESON SAID THE DATE OF JULY 1 1987 WAS EQUALLY SIGNIFICANT IN RESPECT OF CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY NOW USED BY +CHINESE RESIDENTS+.

+ IT HAS BEEN AGREED WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA THAT CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY MAY CONTINUE TO BE ISSUED FROM THAT DATE UNTIL JUNE 30, 1997 WITH A FULL TEN-YEAR VALIDITY AND MAY CONTINUE TO BE USED UNTIL THE IR DUE EXPIRY DATE,+ HE SAID.

+THEY WILL ALSO INCLUDE A RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH WILL BE INCLUDED IN BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORTS.+

MR JEAFFRESON SAID THE ARRANGEMENT TO INCLUDE A RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN TRAVEL DOCUMENTS WAS BASED UPON THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS IN THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION.

+SUCH AN ENDORSEMENT WHICH SHOWS THAT THE HOLDER OF THE DOCUMENT WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN FREELY TO HONG KONG IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORTS AND TO THE CONTINUED ACCEPTABILITY OF CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY FOR THE PURPOSE OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL BEFORE AND AFTER 1997, HE STRESSED.

MR JEAFFRESON SAID THE BILL ALSO SOUGHT TO CREATE THE NEW CATEGORY OF PERSONS +HONG KONG PERMANENT RESIDENTS+ COMPRISING ALL WHO WERE AT PRESENT DEFINED IN THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE AS +HONG KONG BELONGERS+ OR +CHINESE RESIDENTS+.

HE SAID +BROADLY SPEAKING, THE FORMER COVER 3.25 MILLION HONG KONG BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS AND THE LATTER ANOTHER 1.74 MILLION PERSONS OF CHINESE RACE WHO HAVE RESIDED IN HONG KONG FOR SEVEN YEARS OR MORE.

*THE RIGHT OF ABODE AS DEFINED WILL BE ACCORDED TO THIS NEW CATEGORY OF PERSONS. CONSEQUENTLY, THE RIGHT NOT TO BE DEPORTED FROM HONG KONG CURRENTLY ENJOYED BY +HONG KONG BELONGERS+ WILL BE EXTENDED TO +CHINESE RESIDENTS+.

+ THE BILL AMENDS THE DEPORTATION PROVISIONS IN THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR THE IMMUNITY FROM DEPORTATION OF PERSONS WHO ARE AT PRESENT DEFINED AS +CHINESE RESIDENTS.+

THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TERMS HONG KONG BELONGER+ AND +CHINESE RESIDENT+ BY A NEW EXPRESSION +HONG KONG PERMANENT RESIDENT+ REMOVED A DISTINCTION, WHICH HAS BEEN DRAWN ON THE BASIS OF BRITISH NATIONALITY, BETWEEN TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS.

/+EUBJECT TO