TNAG-1387-FCO40-1835-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1986 — Page 148

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whatever reasons, have not yet applied for them. This silent majority, who are not British Dependent Territories Citizens, would be unable to obtain the new passports on or after 1st July 1987 unless they are willing to apply for naturalisation as British Dependent Territories citizens on or before 1st July 1997 under Clause 18 of the British 1981 Nationality Act. It is doubtful, however, whether these Hong Kong Certificate-of-Identity holders would make applications by using these means. I cannot make any forecast or

assessment about this.

It is stated in section XIV of Annex I of the Joint Declaration that people who were born or who have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of 7 years or more will become citizens of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and will be qualified to obtain passports or travel documents issued by the Special Administrative Region. But for people currently holding Certificates of Identity or those who will hold them in the future, if they are unwilling after 1997 to become citizens of the People's Republic of China, (for example Hong Kong Chinese for politicial reasons) it is very possible that problems of nationality would arise on or after 1st July 1997. In this regard, I urge the Government to pay attention to the above-mentioned situation and negotiate with the relevant Authority at an early date the status, rights, and alterations to issuing procedures regarding Certificate-of-Identity holders during the transitional period. The purpose is to obtain a satisfactory reply so that

Certificate-of-Identity holders need not have any

anxiety.

Sir, with these remarks I support the motion.