TNAG-1381-FCO40-1829-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 208

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CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

-9 1631935

FM HONG KONG 080931Z JAN 85

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELEGRAM NUMBER 55 OF 8 JANUARY

No

ви

118

lins

-YOUR TELNO 35: HONG KONG AGREEMENT : NEW NATIONALITY TITLE.

DUE TO PRESSURE OF OTHER BUSINESS, THE QUESTION OF THE NEW NATIONALITY TITLE WAS NOT REACHED IN EXCO TODAY. THE COUNCIL WILL RESUME TOMORROW, 9 JANUARY.

2. YOUR PARA 2. THE REASON FOR SUGGESTING THE REFERENCE ON PAGE 1 OF THE NEW PASSPORT TO THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT ON PAGE 5 IS TO DISTINGUISH THE NEW-STYLE PASSPORT CLEARLY FROM BOC PASSPORTS, SO AS TO UNDERLINE THE FACT THAT HOLDERS OF THE NEW-STYLE PASSPORTS DO HAVE A RIGHT OF ABODE SOMEWHERE. WE BELIEVE THAT, IF SOMETHING AS CLOSE TO BOC AS BRITISH OVERSEAS NATIONAL WERE ADOPTED AS THE TITLE, EXCO (AND HONG KONG BDTC'S GENERALLY) WOULD ATTACH CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE TO THESE POINTS.

3. THE PROBLEM OF THE REFERENCE TO THE IDENTITY CARD WILL, OF COURSE, HAVE TO BE RESOLVED WHATEVER NEW TITLE IS ADOPTED, GIVEN THAT THE INITIAL ISSUE OF NEW-STYLE PASSPORTS MUST BE COMPLETED BY 30 JUNE 1997 BEFORE THE SAR COMES INTO EXISTENCE. THIS CAN, AS YOU SAY, BE CONSIDERED LATER.

YOUDE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

HD/PUSD

DEP HD/PUSD

RESEARCH DEPT (MR WALKER) PS

PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

SIR J FREELAND

COPIES TO:(VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR BURROWS, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR MARTIN, ASST STAFF CABINET

OFFICE

MR CARTLEDGE, CABINET OFFICE MR COLVIN, CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADOCK, NO 10 DOWNING ST

ER WILSON

MR J CROWLEY, PUSD

CONFIDENTIAL