SECRET
BURETE TART GAY.
PS/PUSJ
сс
Private Secretary Mr Donald
Mr Howells (NTD) Mr Cox (FED)
3401
HKK 340 | LANGET HASD
aft
Eis
209
HONG KONG PASSPORTS
1.
INDRA
No
Heppi
-5/11
The PUS minuted on Mr Howells' submission of 8 November on this subject. He asked what opinion in Hong Kong would make of a change in nomenclature in passports, how the Chinese Govern- ment would react and how it would be taken in Britain. The following points have been cleared with FED and NTD.
Hong Kong.
2. The Unofficials in Hong Kong have made clear that they do not expect entry to the UK. Their primary concern is a political
to offset suspicions of a distancing of Hong Kong from Britain. However, even if they or anyone else in Hong Kong wanted to make more substance out of the change this would be extremely difficult. The amendments to the passport will, if anything, underline the inhibition on entry by highlighting the provisions of the Immigration Act 1971.
China.
3.
The Chinese have not taken up with us the question of the British Nationality Act 1981 itself, although this designates Hong Kong as one of the schedule of Dependent Territories covered by British Dependent Territories Citizenship. They might object to the award of the designation 'British' to Hong Kong people alone, but a change affecting all Dependenceis is consistent and should not cause trouble. In practice the Chinese have for many years tolerated the possession by some Hong Kong residents of passports describing them as 'British Subjects: Citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies', while refusing to accept such passports for travel by Hong Kong people to China. We would expect them to adopt the same line with the new passport.
United Kingdom.
4.
Opinion in the United Kingdom should accept the change as:
a. preserving an exclusive British Citizen category;
b. spelling out the non-eligibility of BDTCs for entry
to the United Kingdom.
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