TNAG-0902-FCO40-1112-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 161

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CONFIDENTIAL

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KECORD OF MEETING BETWEEN MR D F MURRAY AND MR L M DAVIES SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, HONG KONG: 21 AUGUST 1979:

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Proposed Changes in British Nationality Law

1.

Mr Murray explained that Home Office Ministers were firmly com- mitted to introducing changes in British nationality laws on the lines set, out in the Green Paper, and that in this they would almost certainly have the support of the whole Cabinet. We had achieved a major improvement in getting the Home Office to accept the idea of three categories of citizenship, rather than the original two. But the Secretary of State might not be able to carry the Home Secretary and his Cabinet colleagues to the point of retaining the present nomenclature for Hong Kong belongers. We should need potent new arguments from Hong Kong. The point made by the Governor in his latest telegram, that the change could lead to revision of entry requirements by some countries that now accept CUKCS without question, is one new argument that we can use.

2. Mr Davies said that reaction to the Green Paper proposals in Hong Kong had been muted precisely because senior Unofficials had deliberately refrained from provoking any reaction. But he saw no prospect of their continuing to exercise this restraint unless they could be given convincing reasons why the change was necessary. The Hong Kong Chinese community would never believe that changes involving all the panoply of Green Fapers, White Papers, Acts of Parliament etc. were being made simply for the sake of administrati" tidiness. They would be bound to conclude therefore that the changes were a preliminary to more fundamental changes affecting their status. We also need to be cautious about how the Chinese Government would react: they might well come to the same conclusion which could have serious repercussions for Anglo-Chinese relations.

3. Mr Murray gave an assurance that the FCO would continue to argue the Hong Kong case as strongly as possible. We would pursue the question of getting stronger arguments in support of that case.

Royal Navy Patrol Boats

4.

Mr Murray thought it virtually certain that MOD would hold to their understanding to let Hong Kong builders tender for four of the boats. We were advising in this sense. But he asked whether there would really be a significant reaction from Unofficials in Hong Kong if the contracts for all five of the boats were placed in the UK. Mr Davies said he could not predict what the reaction might be, but with Hong Kong now paying three-quarters of the bill, he thought it important that agreements of this sort should not be so phrased as to exclude Hong Kong firms right from the start. He also suggested that the MOD themselves might be in favour of local construction if it proved cheaper.

CONFIDENTIAL

/Immigrat