TNAG-1083-FCO40-1333-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 104

212

Mr Jones

NTD (CL537)

340/1

CONFIDENTIAL

HKK 34011

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 0 7 APR 1981

DESK OFFICER INDEX

NATIONALITY BILL: SEPARATE CITIZENSHID

ملل

PA

ماوم

REGISTRY

Action Taken

15.4.

PGD isly

1. You will recall that during the Committee consideration of Clause 9 on 2 April, a number of Members referred to the possibility of separate citizenship for the Dependent Territories, some of them arguing that this would be helpful to Hong Kong. We agreed that we might well hear more of this, particularly when Schedule 6 on the Dependent Territories is discussed.

2.

Hong Kong's position remains that separate. citizenship would not be attractive since, apart from the China complications,

There is, it would represent a further distancing from the UK. however, a danger that, if a number of MPs continue to press this idea, Unofficials in Hong Kong may return to the theme that separate citizenship could be manipulated to their advantage in order to bring it within a category more akin to British Citizenship. I know that we have told Hong Kong that this is not on but they are inclined to worry away at the nomenclature point.

3. I have discussed this with Mr Ford, the Hong Kong Commissioner. He fully agrees that there would be no sense in Hong Kong taking this line and he will do what he can to advise them against it. I hope he may also get an opportunity to persuade MPS that they would not be helping Hong Kong by citing that Territory as a good argument for separate citizenship.

4. I realise that in all this the position of Gibraltar is important. I am not clear, however, whether we do now wish to press separate citizenship in Gibraltar's interests in view of the opposition of the Home Office to the whole idea. Certainly from Hong Kong's point of view, it would be helpful if it were dropped. But in any case, if MPs are likely to revert to the proposition I think we may need to send a further letter of telegram to Hong Kong spelling out quite clearly that there would be no advantage for them in this particular idea.

R D Clift

6 April 1981

Hong Kong and General Department

сс

Mr Daunt, SED Mr Morrice

CONFIDENTIAL