XN000022-1990-01-16 — Page 25

10

TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1990

OF

CHAN OI-LAI (MING PAO DAILY NEWS): I WANT TO ASK A QUESTION ON THE RIGHT OF ABODE ISSUE. IN THE NATIONALITY ACT OF CHINA IT DOES NOT MAKE A CLEAR ANSWER TO US WHETHER THOSE WHO ARE GRANTED THE RIGHT ABODE

THE IN

UK WILL BE RECOGNISED AS

AS CHINESE FOREIGNERS OR

ON IT? CITIZENS. AND SO WHAT IS THE VIEW OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND HOW

DUAL- THIS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT GOING TO DEAL WITH IS

ISSUE? AND ALSO, SO THAT THE RIGHT OF ABODE NATIONALITY

ISSUE WILL ΤΟ PEOPLE NOT BE AN EMPTY PROMISE AND WILL ENCOURAGE THE HONG KONG REMAIN IN HONG KONG.

MR HURD: I'M SORRY, I MISSED THE SECOND ᏢᎪᎡᎢ . I GOT THE FIRST PART BUT COULD YOU REPEAT THE SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION?

CHAN OJ-LAI: I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS THE VIEW OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ON THIS DUAL-NATIONALITY ISSUE? AND ALSO, WHAT WILL THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DO TO HANDLE THIS PROBLEM AND SO THAT THE RIGHT OF ABODE WILL NOT BE AN EMPTY PROMISE AND WILL ENCOURAGE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG?

MR HURD: WELL, WE NATURALLY HOPE, AND WOULD EXPECT, THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE UNITED KINGDOM PASSPORTS, HOWEVER THEY RECEIVED THEM, WILL BE TREATED AS ONE AS UNITED KINGDOM CITIZENS. AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS REASON TO DOUBT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE NATIONALITY PROPOSAL. AS I'VE SAID. WE BELIEVE IT TO

BE FULLY IN CONFORMITY WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND ACTUALLY HELPFUL IN THE AIM WHICH THE JOINT DECLARATION STATES. I DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BR PRACTICAL PROBLEMS THERE.

C.Y. CHEUNG (BBC WORLD SERVICE CHINESE): THE LABOUR PARTY AND MANY OF YOUR PROMINENT BACK-BENCHERS ARE STILL PRESSING THEIR CASE AGAINST YOUR NATIONALITY PACKAGE. CAN YOU NOW ASSURE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT THAT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WILL PASS YOUR PACKAGE WHEN IT IS BEING PUT FORWARD TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN APRIL OR MAY?

MR HURD: YES. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT APRIL OR MAY BECAUSE NO DECISION HAS BEEN TAKEN ABOUT TIMING. BUT I BELIEVE THAT WHEN THAT TIME COMES. YES, THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WILL PASS THE PACKAGE. AND I WILL GO BACK NOW AND SAY, PERHAPS WITH YOUR HELP. THAT IT REMAINS MY VIEW,

IN FACT MY VIEW IS CONSIDERABLY STRENGTHENED, THAT THIS [S AN ESSENTIAL PART IT'S NOT THE TOTAL ANSWER BUT IT IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF BUILDING UP CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND THAT WOULD BE A VERY GRAVE MISTAKE ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WHEN THE TIME COMES. IT WERE TO REJECT IT.

CHARLES WATSON (1CRT RADIO, TAIWAN): GIVEN THAT THE DECLARATION AND THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT WHICH WILL FORM THE OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS. ARE LOGGED WITH THR UNITED NATIONS. BASIC LAW SEEMS INCOMPATIBLE IN ANY WAY, WHAT WILL BRITAIN'S BE?

IT

IF,

JOINT

BASIS IF THE RESPONSE

/MR HURD: