TNAG-1081-FCO40-1331-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 168

101

GRS 1000

SECRET

SECRET

FM FCO 25174OZ FEF 31

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 188 OF 25 FEBRUARY

FOR GOVERNOR FROM YOUDE

TOP COPY

HKK 340

RECEIVED BEAMSEY NO. 51 26 FEB 1981

DES, OPAL DA

See 100A

94

YOUR TELNO 192: NEW NATIONALITY BILL

INQEX

118

ملار

PA.

IMAIS RY

Action Targ

8-303. AG03013

1. I FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR WISH TO COME HERE TO SEE THE SECRETAR

OF STATE AND MR WHITELAW. A PROVISIONAL APPOINTMENT WITH FORMER HAS

BEEN PENCILLED IN FOR 10 OR 12 MARCH. HOME OFFICE HAVE CONFIRMED

THAT LATTER WILL BE AVAILABLE, BUT NO FIRM APPOINTMENT HAS YET

BEEN SOUGHT. THE PUS WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE YOU BEFORE YOU CALL ON

LORD CARRINGTON. IF YOU DECIDE TO COME, GRATEFUL TO KNOW DATES

WHICH WOULD SUIT BEST.

66

see

2. DONALD AND ADAMS MET ON 24 FEBRUARY WITH HOME/OFFICE OFFICIALS AND FIRMLY ADVANCED THE POINTS IN YOUR TELNO 129. DONALD GAVE THE HOME OFFICE A VERY FULL ACCOUNT OF THE WIDER POLITICAL BACK-

GROUND AND LEFT THEM IN NO DOUBT AS TO THE REAL DIFFICULTIES WHICH

YOU WOULD FACE IF NO MEANS CAN BE FOUND TO SATISFY HONG KONG ANXIET-

IES.

3. THE AMENDMENTS PROPOSED IN PARAS 6, 7 AND 11 OF YOUR TELNO 129

WERE PUT SQUARELY TO THE HOME OFFICE. WE STRONGLY URGED THE IMPORT-

ANCE OF MEETING, ALONG THESE LINES, HONG KONG'S NEED FOR AMENDMENTS

TO THE BILL ITSELF. NO FALL-BACK POSITIONS WERE REVEALED.

23

HRK 204/2

66

4. THE HOME OFFICE OFFICIALS UNDERTOOK TO CONSIDER THE PROPOSALS.

THEY EXPLAINED THAT MR WHITELAW FELT THAT HE HAD GONE A CONSIDERABLE

DISTANCE ALREADY IN MEETING HONG KONG'S EARLIER OBJECTIONS BY

AGREEING TO A SPECIAL CITIZENSHIP FOR DEPENDENT TERRITORIES, HE

HAD ALSO DONE A GREAT DEAL TO HELP HONG KONG IN TERMS OF THE UK QUOTA FOR VIETNAMESE REFUGEES. (DONALD HAD PREVIOUSLY RAISED THIS IN

ILLUSTRATING THE RANGE OF CURRENT IRRITATIONS IN RELATIONS BETWEEN HMG AND HONG KONG.) TO MAKE ANY FURTHER MAJOR CONCESSION TO HONG

KONG IN THE NATIONALITY CONTEXT WOULD EXPOSE THE HOME SECRETARY TO

POLITICAL CRITICISM.

5. THIS ECHOES THE TONE OF THE HOME SECRETARY'S WRITTEN REPLY TO LORD CARRINGTON FOLLOWING THE MEETING WITH SIR S Y CHUNG AND CHEUNG.

WHILE THE HOME OFFICE HAVE AGREED TO LOOK AT HONG KONG'S CASE AGAIN, THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF PRESENTATION IF THE

GOVERNMENT PUTS FORWARD ANY AMENDMENTS ON THE LINES SUGGESTED. SO

FAR NO MP'S HAVE PUT FORWARD AMENDMENTS ON HONG KONG'S BEHALF. AS THE HOME OFFICE SEE IT, IF THE GOVERNMENT PUTS THEM FORWARD AS

DESIGNED FOR THE RARE CASE, AS WITH OTHER CROWN SERVANTS, IT WILL

2E CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE THE GENERAL ASSURANCE YOU

SEEK. MOREOVER, SINCE THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ARE PUB-

LIC, IT WOULD SOON BECOME EVIDENT TO HONG KONG THAT THE AMENDMENTS

1981

SECRET

/SOUGHT