GRS 855
SECRET
SECRET
NKK 340
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 5!
03 FFR 1981
FM FCO 291810Z JAN 81
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
DESK OFFICER INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Tako
TELEGRAM NUMBER 91 OF 29 JANUARY.
FOR GOVERNOR FROM DONALD
4598 - 1
FCO TELNO 79 AND YOUR TELNO 145 TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE: NEW NATIONALITY LEGISLATION.
1.
251
I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS PROBLEM WITH DAVID FORD AND JAMES ADAMS (AUSS NATIONALITY/IMMIGRATION). WE FULLY APPRECIATE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ISSUE, IN PARTICULAR THE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS OF THE WORRIES OF LOCALLY-RECRUITED GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND UNOFFICIALS.
2.
THE ACCELERATED PARLIAMENTARY CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL MUST HAVE LOOKED ODD IN HONG KONG. STRICTLY FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO PRESENT THE BILL BEFORE THE RECESS. THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE AND PRESSURES ON THE PARLIAMENTARY TIMETABLE CAUSED THE TELESCOPING OF THE FIRST AND SECOND READINGS. THE DATES WERE DECIDED IN A HURRY AND WE ONLY HEARD ABOUT THE SECOND READING ON 23 JANUARY. AS YOU KNOW, THE DEBATE WENT WELL FROM HONG KONG'S ANGLE, COVERING ALL THE POINTS IN YOUR TELNO 72.
3.
I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THERE NEVER HAS BEEN ANY QUESTION OF A DELIBERATE DISTANCING OF HMG FROM HONG KONG. AS YOU WILL RECALL, IN CONSIDERATION OF BOTH THE GREEN AND WHITE PAPERS, MINISTERS HAVE ON MANY OCCASIONS RESPONDED REASSURINGLY TO HONG KONG'S CONCERNS. INDEED THE HOME SECRETARY REPEATED IN THE DEBATE YESTERDAY HMG'S COMMITMENT TO THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES. ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF DETAILED POINTS RAISED BY HONG KONG HAVE NOT BEEN MET IN FULL DESPITE OUR PRESSING THEM STRONGLY WITH THE HOME OFFICE, THEY HAVE ACHIEVED THE IMPORTANT SEPARATE CATEGORY.
THE PROBLEM OF REASSURANCE TO LOCALLY-RECRUITED GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND UNOFFICIALS IS RELATIVELY RECENT. WHEN YOU DIS- CUSSED IT WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN, NOVEMBER YOU SAW THE BASIC PROBLEM IN THE LACK OF A SATISFACTORY UNDERSTANDING WITH
1
SECRET
ہر
CHINA
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