TNAG-1381-FCO40-1829-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 79

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DESKSY 2409OOZ

FM HONG KONG 2405152 JAN 35

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 191 OF 22 JANUARY

Никою HKK04012

TRY

24 JAN 1985

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPS WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS.

HONG KONG BILL/NATIONALITY TITLE: PRESS REACTIONS.

GENEVA

SUMMARY:

1. PRESS INTEREST HAS ALREADY BEGUN TO DECLINE TO SOME EXTENT. THERE WERE INDICATIONS THAT THE THIRD READING OF THE HK BILL MAY BE POST- PONED. THE RETURN OF THE UMELCO TRIO WAS WELL COVERED, AS WAS THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S SPEECH TO LEGCO.

NEWS COVERAGE:

2. THIRD READING: RADIO REPORTS AND THE SCMP (BUT NO OTHER PAPERS YET) SAID FROM LONDON THAT THERE WERE INDICATIONS THAT THE THIRD READING OF THE HK BILL MIGHT BE POSTPONED FOR A WEEK OR MORE. THE POSSIBLE POSTPONEMENT WAS DUE TO PRESSURE BY THE OPPOSITION AND BY UMELCO TO ALLOW HK PEOPLE TO REGISTER THEIR REACTIONS TO THE SECOND READING. THE REPORT ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN IMPRESSED BY THIS ARGUMENT: AND THAT A FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD BE MADE LATER

TODAY.

3. THE MEDIA NOTED THE VARIOUS AMENDMENTS PUT DOWN FOR THE COMMITTEE STAGE. GEORGE ROBERTSON WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE INTENTION WAS NOT TO DIVIDE THE HOUSE BUT SIMPLY TO ENSURE A FULL DEBATE. MR POWELL'S PREFERENCE FOR THE VAGUER TERM 'STATUS'' RATHER THAN ''A NEW FORM OF BRITISH NATIONALITY' WAS NOTED.

4. UMELCO: MANY PAPERS GAVE PROMINENCE TO THE RETURN OF THE UMELCO TRIO FROM LONDON, AND HEADLINED SIR S Y CHUNG'S CALL ON LOCAL RESIDENTS TO PUT FORWARD THEIR VIEWS ON THE BNO TITLE. HE ADDED THAT HE EXPECTED THE NEW PASSPORT TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THIRD COUNTRIES, WHILE MARIA TAM SAID THAT ACCEPTABILITY TO THIRD COUNTRIES WOULD DEPEND ON HMG'S EFFORTS. THE TWO LEADING LEFTWING PAPERS GAVE A FACTUAL REPORT, HIGHLIGHTING SIR S Y CHUNG'S VIEW THAT THE TRIP TO LONDON WAS A SUCCESS.

5. NEW TITLE: THE AG'S EXPLANATION OF THE NEW TITLE TO LEGCO WAS WELL COVERED, WITH THE PRESS EMPHASISING HIS VIEWS THAT BNO WAS THE MOST APPROPRIATE TITLE. THE AG, HAD EXPLAINED AGAIN THE PRINCIPLES

BEHIND THE NEW TITLE. THE OUTGOING POLITICAL ADVISER HAD ALSO EXPLAINED, IN ANSWER TO JOURNALISTS QUESTIONS, THAT IT WAS IMPORT- ANT THAT THE NEW TITLE SHOULD NOT IMPLY A CONTINUING CONSTITUTIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND HONG KONG. ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (INDEPENDENT) SAID, QUOTING 'FCO SOURCES'', THAT HMG HAD CONSIDERED

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