TNAG-1386-FCO40-1834-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 128

GRS 175

RESTRICTED

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2734

OF 050355Z DECEMBER 85

RESTRICTED

HAN 040/4

RECEIVE

5.

DESK OFFIER

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,

PEKING

30

OUR TELNO 2733: WHITE PAPER ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986: LEGCO ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON 4

DECEMBER.

PLEASE DELETE FROM THE PENULTIMATE SENTENCE OF PARA. 9 OF TUR THE WORDS 'RECEIVED MERELY TOKEN SUPPORT FROM JOHN SWAINE, BUT'. WHAT JOHN SWAINE SAID WAS THAT 'THE STATUS OF BOC IS EVEN MORE NEBULOUS THAN THAT OF BN (0), AND FURTHER REMOVED FROM IDENTIFICATION WITH A HOME. IT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS ANOMALIES AND INJUSTICES WITH REGARD TO NON-CHINESE BRITISH NATIONALS, A THEME WHICH OTHER OF MY UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES WILL DEVELOP'. ALTHOUGH HE DID NOT SPEAK

ON THE REQUEST FROM THE ETHNIC MINORITIES AT LENGTH AS DID SEVERAL OF HIS COLLEAGUES, HIS DISSATISFACTION WITH THE NATIONALITY ARRANGEMENTS FOR NON-CHINESE BDTCS CAME THROUGH CLEARLY. ON REFLECTION, IT IS NOT ENTIRELY ACCURATE TO DESCRIBE HIS SUPPORT FOR THEM AS 'MERELY TOKEN'.

YOUDE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/NTD

RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)

DEP HD/PUSD

PS

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

SIR W HARD ING MR WILSON

COPIES TO:

MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR GRAINGER, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD

MR HYDE, HOME OFFICE

MR EMERY, B4 DIV, HOME OFFICE, CROYDON

MR NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE

ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.

MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE

MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

RESTRICTED

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