CONFIDENTI AL
HONG KONG: FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEBATE : 7 MAY
SUPPLEMENTARIES
FUTURE OF HONG KONG
1.
Her Majesty's Government are committed to fulfilling their
responsibilities to Hong Kong and its people. While my right
honourable and noble Friend was in Peking, the Chinese Communist
Party Vice-Chairman Deng Xiaoping strongly re-emphasised his
earlier assurances to investors in Hong Kong that they need
have no worries for the future. The excellent state of relations
countries and between China and Hong Kong does
between our two
much to reinforce this.
NATIONALITY BILL
2.
the
Hong Kong has expressed concern about some of the provisions
of the Bill. The Government has proposed amendments which go a
long way towards meeting the objections raised by Hong Kong.
These include discretionary powers for the registration in specially deserving circumstances as British Citizens of Citizens of/
British Dependent Territories who are Crown Servants under the
Government of a Dependent Territory and the right of Citizens
of the British Dependent Territories to be registered as British
Citizens after 5 years' lawful residence in the United Kingdom,
rather than having to apply for naturalisation, as originally
proposed. [If raised] They do not however meet Hong Kong's
concerns about nomenclature, which are being considered.
CONFIDENTIAL
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