FC04011772/
CONFIDENTIAL
JOINT LIAISON GROUP
5. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT THERE WAS PRESSURE IN THE PARLIAMENT AND IN HONG KONG FOR THE HONG KONG PEOPLE TO BE REPRESENTED ON THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. OUR INTENTION WAS TO HAVE ONLY OFFICIALS TAKING PART. THESE WOULD INCLUDE OFFICIALS
FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. OVER TIME SUCH OFFICIALS WOULD INCREASINGLY BE LOCAL PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG AND NOT EXPATRIATES SINCE THESE WERE BEING PHASED OUT IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT.
6. WU SAID THAT THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP HAD TO BE CONF I NEED TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS. THE
HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AS SUCH COULD NOT BE REPRESENTED. (THE SECRETARY OF STATE REASSURED HIM THAT THIS WAS NOT OUR INTENTION: OFFICIALS
FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD BE INCLUDED AS MEMBERS OF
THE BRITISH DELEGATION.) WU WENT ON TO SAY
THAT CHINESE NATIONALS COULD NOT BE MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH SIDE.
AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION HE SAID THAT IF THERE WAS A NEED TO CONSULT CHINESE NATIONALS BECAUSE OF THEIR LOCAL KNOWLEDGE THEY COULD BE MEMBERS OF AN EXPERT SUB-GROUP. THE SECRETARY OF STATE EMPHASISED THAT THE IMPORTANT POINT WAS TO CHOOSE PEOPLE WHO COULD DO THE WORK EFFECTIVELY, THE AGREEMENT WAS THAT EACH SIDE WOULD APPOINT ITS OWN MEMBERS. HE SUGGESTED THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD BE SOLVED AS WE WENT ALONG. WU AGREED.
REGISTRATION AT THE UN
7. THE SECRETARY OF STATE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS OUR INVARIABLE PRACTICE TO REGISTER INTERNTATIONAL AGREEMENTS AT THE U N UNDER ARTICLE 102 OF THE UN CHARTER. HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, IF HE AND WU WERE BOTH AT THE UNGA SE981ON NEXT YEAR, FOR THEM TO REGISTER THE AGREEMENT JOINTLY. WU SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD NOT REGISTERED THEIR AGREEMENTS IN THE PAST BUT HE WAS PREPARED TO
CONSIDER THE IDEA.
NATIONALITY
8. THE SECRETARY OF STATE EXPLAINED THAT WE WOULD SHORTLY NEED TO PRESENT THE BILL BEFORE PARLIAMENT FOR RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENT. THIS BILL WOULD NEED TO DEFINE A NATIONALITY STATUS FOR CURRENT BDTCS IN HONG KONG. THERE WERE TWO REQUIREMENTS. THE FORMULA USED MUST MAKE CLEAR THAT THE NEW STATUS WAS A FORM OF BRITISH NATIONALITY, AND THAT THE NEW STATUS WAS UNIQUE TO FORMER GDTCS CONNECTED WITH HONG KONG. AFTER A GREAT DEAL OF DELIBERATION WE HAD CONCLUDED THAT THE ONLY FORMULA WHICH PROPERLY MET THESE Tou REQUIREMENTS WAS BRITISH NATIONALITY: HONG KONG** THIS WOULD NOT IMPLY ANY ACCEPTANCE BY CHINA OF DUAL NATIONALITY. NOR MOULD THERE BE ANY REFERENCE TO CHINESE NATIONALITY IN THE BRITISH
LAN.
CONFIDENTIAL
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19. wu
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