TNAG-1386-FCO40-1834-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 124

GRS 450

UNCLASSIFIED

#ha covely

RECEIVED IN REDISTRY - 5 DEC 1985

Dest

FM HONG KONG

INDEX

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2744

2

NGGETRY

tion Taken

TOP COPY

OF 051112Z DECEMBER 85

INFO IMMED MATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING

OUR TELNO 2712 :

524

WHITE PAPER ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986:

LEGCO ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON 4 DECEMBER : SUMMARY OF MEDIA COVERAGE

SUMMARY

1. THE LEGCO ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE WHITE PAPER WAS THE LEAD

ITEM IN THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA ON THE EVENING OF 4 DECEMBER AND IN

THE MEDIA TODAY. MOST PAPERS EMPHASISED IN HEADLINES THAT UNOFF IC HALS

URGED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO TAKE THE LEAD IN RECOGNISING THE

NEW BN (0) PASSPORT BY GRANTING BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS AUTOMATIC

RIGHT OF ENTRY INTO THE UK.

2. WEN WEN PO AND TA KUNG PAO ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THIS THEME ALTHOUGH

THE TWO LEADING LEFT-WING DAILIES GAVE THE STORY ONLY ROUTINE

COVERAGE.

3. OTHER THEMES THAT WERE PROMINENTLY REPORTED INCLUDED THE

FOLLOWING

(A) ACCORD REACHED BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS ON

THE WORDING OF THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN BN (0) PASSPORT:

(B) NEED FOR BN (0) PASSPORT TO HAVE AN ADEQUATE RIGHT OF ABODE

ENDORSEMENT SO AS TO REMOVE THE NEED FOR THE HOLDER TO PRODUCE HIS

IDENTITY CARD TO SECURE ENTRY INTO THIRD COUNTRIES:

(C) NEED TO GIVE SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION TO THE REQUEST FOR RIGHT

OF ABODE IN THE UK FROM NON-CHINESE BDTCS:

(D) NEED TO SAFEGUARD THE CONTINUED CASE OF TRAVEL OF HOLDERS OF

CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY AFTER 1997 AND THE NEED TO RELAX THE

CRITERIA FOR NATURALISATION AS BDTCS: AND

/(E)

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