TNAG-1031-FCO40-1281-Visits-by-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-th-1981 — Page 20

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CONFIDENTIAL

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to the Home Secretary on 6 August that the FCO would favour such

an attempt.

15.

Unofficial Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils

(UMELCO) campaigned in Spring for a change in the Citizen of the

British Dependent Territories (CBDT) title that would underline

Hong Kong's British connection eg British (Hong Kong) Citizen.

They agreed, however, not to press for this in the face of Home

Office opposition. The Gibraltar amendment has now revived interest

in obtaining compensating concessions on nomenclature. UMELCO have

taken no action on this yet, pending developments, and Sir S Y Chung

did not press the matter in his meeting with Mr Ridley on 28 July

16. Departments are now considering whether we should suggest to

the Home Office that they accept a British (name of territory)

Citizen formula as a counter to the Gibraltar amendment. This could

be an option to CBDT; the name of the territory could either be in

brackets or without. This raises the possibility of offending

17.

the Chinese who might react to any hint of a separate citizenship

for Hong Kong. We would need to consult Peking and Hong Kong.

However, for the present any pressure on the Home Office to

consider fall backs of this sort would be tactically unwise. The

Home Secretary has made clear that he is not at present sympathetic

to Hong Kong's case.

18. The Governor believes it would be fitting if Sir Lawrence Kadoorie

took his place in the Lords for the Report Stage of the Bill (6, 7

and 12 October) or the Third Reading (20 October). Sir Lawrence saw

the Garter King of Arms on 6 August and agreed his title:

Baron Kadoorie, of Kowloon in Hong Kong and of the City of

Westminster. The Acting Governor has confirmed there is no

CONFIDENTIAL

/objection