f)
The provisions of Article 6 will enable non-ethnic
Chinese Hong Kong BDTCs and their descendents to retain a
form of British nationality for 3 generations, until about
the middle of the next century. By then the link with
Britain will be more then tenuous. The Government believe
that the right way for these people who are living in what
will by then have been part of China for over 50 years will
be to seek the Chinese nationality.
g)
The Government have also made it plain that in the
unlikely event of any British national being forced to
leave Hong Kong and having nowhere to go, they would expect
the Government of the day to consider sympathetically
whether to admit them, on a case by case basis.
Scope for amendment
5.
There is nothing in law to prevent conferring British
citizenship rather than British Overseas citizenship on those who
would otherwise be stateless, and their children and grandchildren.
But any such concession to the Indian community would lead to
similar demands from the Hong Kong Chinese community (the great
majority of BDTCs in Hong Kong), who were very disappointed at
being unable to secure a transmissible form of British nationality.
The necessary of any such demand would be likely to lead
to widespread dissatisfaction in Hong Kong, which would jeopardise
the smooth implementation of the Agreement.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.