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MAM
5. SING TAO JIH PAO (INDEPENDENT) REPORTED THAT SEVERAL READERS
HAD EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE NEW TITLE WAS NOT AS IMPORTANT
AS THE RIGHTS ENJOYED BY THE HOLDERS OF THE NEW PASSPORT. THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE INTERNATIONAL
RECOGNITION OF THE NEW PASSPORT WAS AGAIN STRESSED. (COMMENT:
THESE VIEWS ARE TYPICAL OF THE GENERAL LINE OF PUBLIC THINKING
ON THE MATTER).
COMMENTARIES:
6. INDEPNDENT PRESS: SING PAO WELCOMED THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE
THIRD READING OF THE HK BILL.WAH KIU YAT PO MADE THE SAME POINTS
AS IN PARA 5 ABOVE, BELIEVING THAT OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD ACCEPT THE NEW PASSPORT AS LONG AS THEY WERE ABLE TO PRESERVE ECONOMIC
AND TRADE LINKS WITH HONG KONG. A COLUMNIST IN ECONOMIC JOURNAL
WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE FUTURE SAR
PASSPORT: AND HE CALLED ON HK PEOPLE TO ADOPT A UNIFIED ATTITUDE.
A COLUMNIST IN ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS ARGUED THAT THE NEW PASSPORT SIMPLY HAD A NEW TITLE AND CARRIED NO RIGHTS. THE PRO-TAIPEI HK TIMES WAS PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE NEW PASSPORT.
7. LEFTWING PRESS: A COLUMNIST IN TA KUNG PAO SUGGESTED THAT THE FUTURE BNO PASSPORT SHOULD CARRY AN ENDORSEMENT INDICATING THE HOLDER'S RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG. THE MINOR TIN FUNG YAT PO
SAID THAT ALL CHINESE IN HK WOULD BECOME CHINESE CITIZENS AND HAVE
CHINESE NATIONALITY IN FUTURE. A COLUMNIST IN TIN TIN DAILY NEWS
AGREED AND SAID THAT NON-CHINESE OR THOSE CHINESE UNWILLING TO BECOME CHINESE CITIZENS COULD BE REGARDED AS BRITISH SUBJECTS WITH NO RIGHT OF ABODE IN BRITAIN. EDITORIALLY TIN TIN DAILY NEWS CONTINUED TO WORRY ABOUT BNOS NOT HAVING A HOME COUNTRY'': AND ALSO RAISED FEARS OF BRITAIN INTRODUCING STRICTER CONTROLS ON BNOS WANTING TO ENTER BRITAIN. FINALLY THE PAPER WONDERED ABOUT THE LOYALTY OF BNOS IF THERE WERE CONFLICTS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN IN THE FUTURE: AND ABOUT THE POSSIBLE STATELESSNESS OF
CHILDREN OF BNOS LIVING OVERSEAS.
K
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18. ENGLISH
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