TNAG-1381-FCO40-1829-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 173

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DESKBY 142330Z

FM FCO 141334Z JANUARY 85

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 83 OF 14 JANUARY

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

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YOUR TELNO 97 AND PEKING TELNO 43: HONG KONG AGREEMENT : NEW NATIONALITY TITLE

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WE AGREE WITH PEKING THAT THE CHINESE ARE LIKELY TO ACCEPT EITHER 'YINGGUO GUOMIN (HAIWAI)' OR 'YINGGUO GONGMIN (HAIWAI)' THEY HAVE GIVEN NO INDICATION SO FAR OF OBJECTING TO THE WORDS 'BRITISH NATIONAL' IN THE NEW TITLE, AND THEY ARE LIKELY TO HAVE THEMSELVES USED ONE OF THE ABOVE TRANSLATIONS FOR THEM.

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WE ALSO AGREE THAT THE CHINESE ARE LIKELY TO CONSIDER THE TRANSLATION TO BE A MATTER FOR US ONCE IT IS MADE CLEAR TO THEM THAT NEITHER THE LEGISLATION NOR THE PASSPORT WILL CONTAIN A CHINESE TITLE. WE THEREFORE THINK THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER IN TH FIRST INSTANCE NOT TO PUT FORWARD A CHINESE TRANSLATION, SINCE THIS MIGHT BE SEEN AS IMPLYING THAT THE CHINESE TERM HAD A FORMA SIGNIFICANCE. IF THE CHINESE ASKED HOW WE WOULD TRANSLATE IT WE WOULD SAY THAT AS THE LEGISLATION AND THE PASSPORT WOULD BE IN ENGLISH, THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR A FORMAL TRANSLATION, BUT THAT IF THE NEED AROSE FOR AN INFORMAL ONE WE WOULD PROBABLY USE THE DIRECT TRANSLATION I.E. YING GUO GONG MIN (HAI WAI) (WHICH WE THINK IS MORE NORMAL THAN GUOMIN).

3. WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE MINISTERS TO BE ABLE, IF POSSIBLE, TO ANNOUNCE THE PROPOSED TITLE IN THE SECOND READING DEBATE ON 21 JANUARY, AND WE MIGHT SUBSEQUENTLY AMEND THE LEGISLATION TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF IT. THIS WOULD MEAN THE AMBASSADOR CALLING ON ZHOU NAN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER EXCO HAVE CONFIRMED, AS WE HOPE THEY WILL, THAT THEY ARE CONTENT WITH 'BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS)'. GRATEFUL THEREFORE FOR ANY COMMENTS YOU HAVE ON PARAGRAPH 2 OF PEKING TUR, AS AMENDED ABOVE.

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WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ANNOUNCE IN THE DEBATE THAT BOC STATUS

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