TNAG-1191-FCO40-1493-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 76

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Christopher Howells "the

Mr Howells NTD

AF21110

HONG KONG: CALL ON PUS BY SIR S Y CHUNG:

1.

BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT

During his call on 12 October, Sir S Y Chung raised the

question of nomenclature in Hong Kong passports. He stressed the importance of clarifying this and said that it would be very difficult to get the Executive Council to agree to

pass the consequential legislation for the Territory

following the British Nationality Act unless they could be

described as British in their passports. He stressed that

the point was not that they wanted entry to the UK, they

accepted that this was not possible. It was, however, very

important that the link with Britain and the reality of

Britain's commitment should be underlined by acknowledging

that they were British. This would show that the Prime

Minister's remarks on moral responsibility to Hong Kong were

genuine. He referred to the letter sent under the brief prema's administration by Lord Goronwy-Roberts undertaking that there

would be no deterioration in the status of the people in Hong

Kong as a result of the Nationality Act.

2.

The PUS asked: (a) whether the Chinese Government would

react badly to such a move; and (b) what exactly was the Hong

Kong purpose in getting this designation in their passports,

granted that they admit there was no practical advantage in

terms of right of abode. Sir S Y said that he thought that

the Chinse would not react. They already regarded people in

a

Hong Kong as Chinese citizens anyway. He emphasised that

the point was of considerable political, not merely symbolic,

importance for the people of Hong Kong. For the preservation

of confidence it was necessary for there to be a clear

understanding with HMG that they remain British.

*

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