TNAG-1259-FCO40-1599-The-Future-of-Hong-Kong---special-study-by-FCO--August-1982--1983 — Page 247

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14.

(b) The PRC, who may take the view that the acknowledgement of Chinese sovereignty involves the ending of any form of British citizenship.

(c) The people of Hong Kong, who, if British

administration is to continue would almost

certainly prefer no change in present citizen-

ship arrangements.

If the Chinese could be brought to accept it, the solution

which would be most likely to preserve confidence in Hong Kong

without damaging UK interests would be the retention of British

Dependent Territories Citizenship (option 1). If this were not

possible a new status such as British Administered Territory

Citizenship (option 5) or a local Hong Kong Citizenship (option 6)

might serve, but would be less likely to command confidence in

Hong Kong and to reduce immigration pressures. Dual citizenship

(option 8) could conceivably be a fallback. Chinese citizenship

(option 7) would be likely to undermine confidence so severely.

that it would result in a large scale exodus, with serious

immigration implications for the UK.

Immigration

15. If new arrangements for continuing British administration

were to command confidence the Hong Kong Government would need

to retain its present control over immigration (except for

This should immigration from China see paragraph 7 above).

be negotiable under a simple acknowledgement of Chinese

sovereignty. If Hong Kong became a Special Administrative

Region of the PRC the Chinese could press for some form of

Chinese control.

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