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CONFIDENTIAL
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OO PEKING
GRS 600
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 091530Z JUL 85
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 988 OF 10 JULY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING 230
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HKK
REGINA
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INDA
-oxo/+
17 JUL 1985
IPA I DIS
OUR TELNO 878: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG
IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF TUR WE FLAGGED THE PROBLEM IDENTIFIED IN
PARAGRAPH 8(A) OF THE DRAFT EXCO MEMORANDUM IN YOUR TELNO 1100,
AND MENTIONED THAT WE SHOULD WISH TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE HONG
KONG TEAM COMING OVER TO DISCUSS THE NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL
AT THE END OF THE MONTH. WE ARE NOW IN A POSITION TO LET YOU
HAVE OUR VIEWS ON IT, AGREED WITH THE HOME OFFICE.
IN BRIEF, FOR
THE REASONS SET OUT BELOW, WE BELIEVE NO BDTC WHO AT PRESENT HAS
THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG SHOULD LOSE IT BEFORE 1 JULY
1997.
2. WE AGREE WITH YOU THAT HONG KONG BELONGERS OF THE KIND YOU
MENTION IN SUB-PARAGRAPH 8(A) (IE THOSE WHO NEITHER WERE
BORN IN HONG KONG NOR HAVE BEEN ORDINARILY RESIDENT IN HONG
KONG FOR A CONTINUOUS PERIOD OF SEVEN YEARS OR MORE AND WHO HAVE
THE RIGHT OF ABODE ELSEWHERE) WILL NOT, UNDER THE AGREEMENT, HAVE
THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE SAR. BY VIRTUE OF THE MEMORANDUM WE
ARE NEVERTHELESS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT ALL PERSONS WHO ON 30
JUNE 1997 ARE BY VIRTUE OF A CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG BDTCS WILL
CEASE TO BE SUCH, BUT WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RETAIN BN(0) STATUS. WE
CANNOT SEE THE CHINESE AGREEING TO ANY EXCEPTIONS TO THIS WHERE
THE PERSON CONCERNED IS CHINESE AND THE CONNECTION CLEARLY IS
WITH HONG KONG. IT FOLLOWS THAT THERE COULD BE SOME BN (0)S WHO
DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE HONG KONG SAR AFTER 1 JULY
1997. MINISTERS HAVE SAID THAT THERE WILL BE A REFERENCE TO A
HOLDER'S RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG (OR THE HONG KONG SAR) IN BN(0) PASSPORTS, BUT IT SEEMS TO US THAT THERE MAY BE SOME BN(O)S
WHO CANNOT HAVE A RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE HONG KONG SAR STATED IN
THEIR PASSPORT. SINCE ANY BN(O)S NOT HAVING RIGHT OF ABODE IN
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