TNAG-0660-FCO40-809-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1977 — Page 34

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PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts

CONFIDENTIAL

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HONG KONG: SIR Y K KAN AND DR S Y CHUNG'S CALL ON LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS: THE GREEN PAPER ON NATIONALITY LAW

1.

You asked that I incorporate into Lord Goronwy-Roberts' brief for the visit of Sir Y K Kan and Dr S Y Chung a speaking note on the Nationality Law raised by the Governor of Hong Kong in his letter 34 brief.

of 21 May to the Minister. This arrived after I had finalized the

My submission of 1 June (attached) refers. 413-397/548/2

2. The substance of this letter from Sir M MacLehose is not unexpected; the views of the two Senior Unofficials are well known. For this reason I had already written into the brief background and speaking notes about Sir Y K Kan's views, to which I would not wish to add. The Minister might however wish to stress, if necessary, that the period between the Green Paper's publication and any subsequent legislation was defined precisely to allow debate of the proposals and that he therefore welcomes the delegates' views.

3. Hong Kong's situation is, of course, a unique one. The Chinese dimension renders absolutely impossible any significant move towards universal suffrage and this fact is recognized by the vast majority of Hong Kong residents. The latter have no choice but to accept the British Government's rulings on nationality reform.

4. My impression, gleaned from the Hong Kong press and the Hong Kong Government's press summaries, is that the publication of the Green Paper proposals was rather better received in Hong Kong than paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Governor's letter would suggest. This may well, however, be a reflection of the Governor's attempts, which he describes in paragraph 6 of his letter, to dissuade his Executive Council from making "things worse by public controversy".

2 June 1977

3. B. Sleent

JB Stewart

Hong Kong & General Dept

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CC:

Murpey

Draft Dobeets will

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After the session HKGD will have to letter, which I hope Lord Growney

agree

to

sign, thanking the Covernor for

4/4 his warning aw saying how the hell went,

CONFIDENTIAL