TNAG-1080-FCO40-1330-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 143

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Mr Donald

Dong

HICK 340li

BM. Wilhims

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY MO. 51 Pl. see Mr. Donalds arrangemub

03 FEB1981

PA

DESK OF CONFIDENTIAL

INDEX

mee 4 on

Thinsday.

COVERING SECRET

REGISTRY Action Talk.

Riget,

HONG KONG NEW NATIONALITY LEGISLATION

1.

:

get the letter!) 30 Dec.

We shelt brief Mr. Donald

Hong Kong Telegrams Nos 72 and 73 emphasied the hostile reaction among Unofficials in Hong Kong to the new draft legis lation.

2.

I attach a draft interim reply to the Governor explaining what we have in hand. This is described in more detail below.

NTD agree.

Nationality Bill Second Reading

3.

3기,

I have discussed with NTD forms of words for proposal to the Home Office to be included either in the Home Secretary's opening speech or as contingency material for Mr Raison's winding up speech. Texts are attached.

Visit to London by Hong Kong Unofficials

4.

I am in touch with Mr Ford about the timing of a call by Sir S Y Chung and Mr Cheung on Mr Whitelaw. I will submit as soon as possible proposing a call by them on Lord Carrington, provisionally fixed for 10.00 on 2 February.

Position of Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants and Unofficials

5.

This is dealt with in Hong Kong Telegram No 73, which develops the theme raised in the Governor's letter to you of 30 December 1980. Hong Kong are very concerned that the removal of citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies will cause increasing alarm among Civil Servants, Policemen and Unofficials who have devoted them- selves to British Government interests and who will see themselves as increasingly vulnerable in the light of a possible Chinese takeover of Hong Kong. The Governor raised this with the Secretary of State in November 1980. At that time he said that he thought the only answer to the problem would be a satisfactory agreement with China on Hong Kong's future (out of the question at present). However, he is now asking for a re-assurance to Hong Kong Chinese in this position that the possibility of their being eventually considered for naturalisation as British citizens is not excluded. Hong Kong took as their basic text for this paragraph 70 of the White Paper which said that the Bill would contain provisions enabling the Secretary of State to naturalise people as British citizens on the grounds of Crown Service. The Bill does indeed contain such a provision but it is limited to Crown Service under the Government of the United Kingdom (Schedule 1, paragraph 1(3)). It would obviously be very difficult to get the reference to the United Kingdom removed but we need to examine whether some form

/of

CONFIDENTIAL

COVERING SECRET