HKIER COPY
RECEIVE PRETRY NO. 51
www
7 AUG 1980
93
OFACLA
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Takes
CONFIDENTIAL
GR 360
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 0609427 AUG 80
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 981 OF 6 AUGUST
INFO HONG KO
NG
GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING
JONES (N AND TD) CIRCULAR LETTER GNN340/1(7) OF 10 JULY: WHITE PAPER ON BRITISH NATIONALITY
WE GAVE CONSIDERABLE PUBLICITY TO THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER ON 30TH JULY. THIS INCLUDED BRIEFING MEDIA EDITORS ON A NON-ATTRIBUTABLE BASIS, THE ISSUE OF A PRESS RELEASE AND THE EXPLANATORY LEAFLET AND SPECIAL BRIEFINGS FOR CITY DISTRICT OFFICERS ETC. IN ADDITION THERE HAVE BEEN SPECIAL RADIO AND TV PROGRAMMES (BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH) FEATURING THE WHITE PAPER PROPOSALS.
2. GENERALLY THE WHITE PAPER HAS RECEIVED A COOL RECEPTION IN
BOTH THE CHINESE AND ENGLISH PRESS. DESPITE OUR EFFORTS TO SIMPLIFY THE COMPLICATED PROPOSALS AND DWELL ON THE MAIN ISSUES, THE WHITE PAPER HAS GIVEN RISE TO SPECULATION ABOUT THE LIKELY EFFECT OF THE
CHANGES. EVEN WITH THE PROPOSED INTRODUCTION OF THE 3-TIER SYSTEM
+ COMMENTS PERSIST TO THE EFFECT THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE BEING
CLASSIFIED AS 'SECOND CLASS CITIZENS’’.
3. DESPITE THE EMPHASIS WHICH WAS PLACED IN PUBLICITY ON PARAGRAPH
16 OF THE PAPER AT LEASE ONE PAPER SUGGESTS THAT THE PROPOSALS ARE
AN INDICATION OF BRITAIN ATTACHING LESS IMPORTANCE TO ITS
RELATIONSHIP WITH HONG KONG: SOME SPECULATION HAS ALSO OCCURRED ABOUT THE IMPLICATION OF THE PROPOSALS IN TERMS OF 1997 AND THE NEW TERRITORIES LEASE. THE "MING PAO'' (INDEPENDENT) CLAIMED THAT CALLING HONG KONG A BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY MIGHT EMBARRASS
CHINA. SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN NO EDITORIAL COMMENT BY LEFT-WING PAPERS, ALL OF WHICH CARRIED STRAIGHT NEWS STORIES DRAWING ON OUR
PRESS RELEASE.
CONFIDENTIAL
/ 4. AMONGST
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