TNAG-1381-FCO40-1829-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 80

SEVEN POSSIBLE NEW TITLES, WHICH HAD BEEN DISCUSSED WITH EXCO. WAH

KIU YAT PO (INDEPENDENT) QUOTED AN IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT SPOKES-

MAN AS SAYING THAT THE RIGHTS OF THE BNO PASSPORT HOLDERS WOULD BE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF HOLDERS OF THE EXISTING PASSPORT, SUCH AS THE

RIGHT TO APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP AFTER FIVE YEARS' RESIDENCE IN

BRITAIN.

COMMENTARIES:

6. INDEPENDENT PRESS: THE MAIN CONCERN CONTINUED TO BE THE ACCEP-

TABILITY OF THE NEW PASSPORT TO THIRD COUNTRIES. THE EXPRESS AGREED

WITH UMELCO THAT IT WAS BRITAIN'S RESPONSIBILITY TO EXPLAIN THE

NEW PASSPORT TO THIRD COUNTRIES. THE PAPER URGED BRITAIN TO SET AN

EXAMPLE BY RELAXING ITS PREJUDICED ATTITUDE'' TOWARDS APPLICATIONS

FOR ENTRY BY (FUTURE) BNO PASSPORT HOLDERS. SING TAO JIH PAO BELIEV-

ED THAT BRIATIN HAD DONE ITS BEST ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUES, AND

SAID THAT LOCAL PEOPLE SHOULD SET THEIR HEARTS AT EASE. THE PAPER

NOTED THAT CI HOLDERS WOULD HAVE HK SAR PASSPORTS WHICH WOULD ALSO

PROVIDE FREEDOM OF TRAVEL. SING PAO WAS ALSO SATISFIED WITH DEVELO-

PMENTS ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUE. HK DAILY NEWS PRAISED SIR S Y

CHUNG ON A JOB WELL DONE AND URGED HIM TO REMAIN IN OFFICE. THE ONLY

SOUR NOTE CAME (AGAIN) FROM FINANCIAL DAILY WHICH ARGUED THAT

BRITAIN HAD NOT TAKEN GOOD CARE OF HK PEOPLE'S INTERESTS. THE PAPER

MAINTAINED THAT THIRD COUNTRIES COULD STILL REJECT THE ENTRY OF

BNO PASSPORT HOLDERS. HOWEVER, THE PAPER SAID THAT IT WAS POINTLESS

TO DISPUTE THE NEW TITLE, AND ATTENTION SHOULD NOW FOCUS ON HOW THE

JLG WOULD COOPERATE IN URGING THE WORLD TO ACCEPT THE BNO AND HK

SAR PASSPORTS.

7. LEFTWING PRESS: THE ONLY EDITORIAL COMMENT CAME FROM THE MINOR

TIN FUNG YAT PO WHICH SAID THAT WORRIES ABOUT NATIONALITY WERE

EXAGGERATED AND UNWARRANTED. THE PAPER EXPECTED THAT MOST HK RESID=

ENTS WOULD OPT TO BECOME CHINESE CITIZENS WHEN THEY SAW THE IMPROVE-

MENTS OF CHINA'S ECONOMIC AND LEGAL SYSTEMS. TWO COLUMNISTS IN TA

KING PAO ALSO TOOK A POSITIVE VIEW, AND SAID THAT THE NEW BNO PASSPORT WOULD NOT AFFECT THE HOLDER'S RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG.

THERE WAS SOME DEBATE ON THE APPROPRIATE CHINESE TRANSLATION FOR

THE TITLE BNO, FUELLED BY THE PRO-CHINA LAWYER DOROTHY LIU AND

PICKED UP BY A COLUMNIST IN WEN WEI PO.

HADDON-CAVE

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

MR WILSON

SIR J FREELAND

MR J CROWLEY, PUSD

2

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 MREMERY BY HOME OFFICE CROYDON MRHYDE HOME OFFICE QUEEN ANNE'S GATE

RESTRICTED