TNAG-1386-FCO40-1834-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 134

CONFIDENTIAL

(C) THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT MUST BE SUCH AS TO PEMOVE ALL DOUBTS OF IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES OF THIRD COUNTRIES:

(D) HMG SHOULD GIVE SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION TO THE PROBLEMS OF NON-CHINESE MINORITIES. (COMMENT: BUT MEMBERS APPEAP TO HAVE RELES- ATED THIS ISSUE TO A POSITION FURTHER DOWN THEIR LIST OF PRIORITIES THAN IT HAS BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM IN THE LAST FEW DAYS):

(E) MEMBERS HOPE THAT HMG WILL WORK VERY HARD TO GAIN THE ACCEPTANCE OF THIRD COUNTRIES TO THE NEW PASSPORT.

5. THERE MAY OF COURSE BE ADDITIONAL COMMENT WHEN MEMBERS DECOME AWAPE OF THE ''PIGHT OF ABODE FORMULA.

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6. THE AG WILL TAKE THE LINE IN RESPONSE THAT A NUMBER OF THE POINTS MADE WILL BE FOR HMG RATHER THAN HKG AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL PEFER THEM TO LONDON. HE WILL THEN REFER IN GENERAL TEPMS TO OUR INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS WITH CONSULAR REPRESENTATIVES HEPE (NOT NAMING THE COUNTRIES) AND TO OUP GENERAL IMPRESSION THAT THE BN (0) PASSPORT WILL BE ACCEPTABLE. HE WILL ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC POINTS OF DETAIL THAT ARE WITHIN HKG'S PROVINCE: BUT EMPHASISE THAT A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE DEBATE WILL BE SENT TO LONDON SO THAT IT CAN BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THE DRAFT ORDER IN COUNCIL COMES BEFORE PARLIAMENT

FOR DEBATE.

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 HARDING 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

MF. NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE.

ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.

MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE

MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL