TNAG-0800-FCO40-1004-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-Nationality-1978 — Page 29

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2.6 million CUKCS should be granted a right of entry to

the United Kingdom.

13.

Nevertheless, Unofficials have indicated that they

are prepared to give publicity to this proposal if

British Overseas Citizenship is introduced and applied

to Hong Kong. I hope they will not do so, and will

endeavour to persuade them of the folly of such action,

which will become associated in people's minds with the

possibility of the United Kingdom acting as a haven if

anything goes wrong here. I believe I can dissuade them,

if they are told that the status quo is to be maintained,

but I doubt if I can otherwise.

14. In their representations, the Unofficials have

also suggested that, in the term "Citizens of the United

Kingdom and Colonies", the word "Colonies" should be

changed to "Dependencies". Such a change would be in

keeping with the modern trend of avoiding the use of the

word 'colony'. Nevertheless, the important point for

Hong Kong is that the status quo should be maintained.

If this has to be done at the expense of living with the

old term, so be it. I am sure the Unofficials would

prefer an anachronism to the perils of change.

15. In summary, both Officials and Unofficial Members

of both Councils see no practical benefits to Hong Kong

from the introduction of a two-tier citizenship, as

proposed in the Green Paper. On the contrary, we see

considerable risk to confidence and stability which would

be seriously damaging here and harm Hong Kong's relations

with the United Kingdom.

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