TNAG-1387-FCO40-1835-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1986 — Page 212

CODE 18-77

AWO Ltd.

7/84

Mr Galsworthy

1.

2. pa

RESTRICTED.

Reference.

"JH2AES

HKK 040/4

602

DEC 1985

HONG KONG NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL: JCWI

1.

I attended a meeting with the JCWI at the Home Office on 17 December to discuss the attached reports. We managed to correct a number of misconceptions on the part of

of the JCWI on the lines of the attached speaking notes. The main emphasis was, as we expected, on the future of non-Chinese BDTC.

2.

The JCWI made the following points worth recording, not contained in their reports:

a)

b)

c)

they noted that children of non-Chinese former BDTC born outside Hong Kong would not automatically enjoy right of abode in Hong Kong under the terms of Section XIV of Annex I, unlike former Chinese BDTCs. We will need to propose a defensive line on

line on this for the debate;

they pointed out that the application for BDTC hip in Hong Kong had a mu ch lower succesS rate than in the UK.

They undertook to correspond with the Home Office about this separately;

they said that it was important for CI holders to have reassurances about what would happen to them in the transitional period. They said that they had been asked by people in Horg Kong whether it would be possible

for them to apply for Chinese travel documents now. I explained that I did not think this would be possible, and that we were not aware of any

substantial body of opinion pressing for this.

J-R

JN Powell

18 December 1985

Hong Kong Department