TNAG-1190-FCO40-1492-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 59

CONFIDENTIAL

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if the people of Hong Kong were British in nationality then they should be allowed to say so. Rightly or wrongly, many in Hong Kong continued to link enactment of the Nationality Bill with HMG's approach to the future of Hong Kong (Mr Chan interjected that Hong Kong saw this as the closing of the flood gates before the lease ran out). Sir S Y Chung emphasised that it was the question of citizenship not of nationality which governed the right of abode. If Hong Kong residents were British nationals but with a different citizenship status that was fine: they did not want to go back to 1963 when they had right of abode in the UK. That was water under the bridge. But it was important that they should be recognised as British nationals. Lord Belstead gave assurances that we were discussing urgently in Whitehall what could appear on Hong Kong passports. He pointed out that significant changes had been made during the passage of the Bill at Hong Kong behest, eg the fact that citizenship of Dependent Territories was now clearly defined as British. Furthermore, HMG had undertaken to protect BDTCs aborad wherever necessary, witness our current representations to the French Government. He undertook to let the Governor have an early reply on the use of the term 'British National'.

CONFIDENTIAL.

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