TNAG-1379-FCO40-1827-Future-of-Hong-Kong-legislation-Hong-Kong-Bill-1985 — Page 16

before 1 July 1997

1997 by those who

connection with Hong Kong.

are BDTCs by

virtue of a

Finally,

the

Government

in

this House,

its

announced, during the Committee Stage

decision to extend the entitlement to acquire British

Overseas Citizenship to

Hồng trứng

second generation descendants

former BDTCs if they would otherwise be stateless.

скащі

Glad 22. Cladyni zaman

1. Rastorie

of

i. Geddes

¿.

Gridley.

As many noble Lords have noted, the passage

of this Bill

rather a new

through Parliament marks not the end but

beginning is our involvement with Hong Kong. The United

Kingdom remains fully responsible for the administration of

the territory until 30 June 1997. Consultations with the

Chinese Government,

about the implementation of the

agreement and matters relating to the transfer of

in 1997, will continue in the Joint Liaison

Group until the year 2000. But, Britain's interest in Hong

territory and its people,

government

Kong, and close links with the

will of Course

have ended.

continue after

our formal

responsibilities

Britain and

My Lords, the Hong Kong Agreement between

China, which this Bill will enable the Government to ratify, has been welcomed in Parliament and in Hong Kong as

an excellent framework of arrangements for Hong Kong's

confidence has returned to the

future.

A mood

of