CODE 18-77
Mr Galsworthy
RESTRICTED
or za11 M. Clark
News Degr
м
FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW (FEER)
1.
Reference
ACCE VI.
FUCK 04014
30 JAN 1995
No I Pr
им
(94)
I should record that Mr James Bartholomew of the FEER rang me up in your absence on 25 January. He said that he had been asked to write an article giving the London response to 4 areas of concern on nationality matters felt by Hong Kong people. He therefore asked me, on an unattributable and off-the record basis:-
(a) what provisions were being taken to avoid statelessness
(which he took to include a right of abode);
(b)
(c)
the position of non-Chinese under Chinese nationality law;
residents of Hong Kong
what was the difference between BN (O) status and BOC, and would BN(O) passports be recognised internationally;
(d) what the significance was of the postponement of the
Committee stage of the Hong Kong Bill.
2.
On (a),
I took Mr Bartholomew at some length through our proposals for statelessness, and the provisions of Section XIV of Annex I on right of abode in Hong Kong.
On (b), I referred him to the provisions that permit aliens to apply for Chinese nationality, while pointing out that it was not for us to interpret the Chinese nationality law.
On (c), I spoke on the lines of the reply to the Ivor Stanbrook PQ, published that day, and on standard lines about the recognition of BN(O) passports by third countries. He took the point about the usefulness of having a reference to the right of the holder to reside in the SAR.
On (d), I said that this did not mean that HMG attached any less importance to the Bill, and was rather a response to suggestions put forward in the second reading debate.
3. I understand that the article will appear in this week's FEER, and that Mr Bartholomew subsequently contacted Dr Wilson and read over to him what he planned to write.
28 January 1985
Filter
R J F Hoare
Hong Kong Department
RESTRICTED
Page 60Page 61
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