TNAG-0902-FCO40-1112-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 150

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UK's bilateral relations with the Chinese People's Republic. For all these reasons we need to avoid any gratuitous changes which might be taken to imply now or in the foreseeable future any change in the constitutional relationship between Britain and Hong Kong. The Chinese would be equally disturbed if they concluded from any changes that HMG were trying to create an independent entity which was intended at some future point to acquire a juridical life of its own: a "third China" would be extremely objectionable to Peking and likely to provoke a vigorous reaction.

5. Both the Governor and HM Ambassador in Peking have consequently concluded that our interests, both internally in l'ong Kong and in relation to the People's Republic of China would be put at serious risk by a change in nomenclature; and strongly recommend that the present definition of CUKC be

maintained as it stands.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

31 August 1979

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