TNAG-1359-FCO40-1800-Executive-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-meet-1985 — Page 236

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23

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said

Kong Bill to incorporate the title.

that he did not think Unofficials were able to say

whether the proposed title would be acceptable to people

in Hong Kong because public opinion bad not been

tested. While he would have no objection to it being

announced on 21 January, he felt that the title should

not be incorporated in the Bill until after its

acceptability to Hong Kong people had been established.

pointed to the dangers of encouraging

too much

much public debate оп the title given the very

limited scope for acceptable alternatives.

3.

Redacted Under FOI

Exemption Sec 27(1) (a)(c)(d)

considered it important that, when the title was

announced, the rights and privileges attached to the new

status should be explained and it should be made clear

that the new status was not the same as 'British

Overseas citizen'.

4.

Members then confirmed, after discussion, that

(a) the title 'British National

(Overseas)' should be put to the

Chinese;

(b) if Chinese

secured,

acceptance was

the

title should be

made public. It would be

preferable if this could be done

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