TNAG-1388-FCO40-1859-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Sino-British-Joint-Declaration-1985 — Page 91

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LIAISON GROUP, OUR PRIMARY CONCERN WAS TO DESIGNATE OFFICIALS INCLUDING HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO, BY VIRTUE OF THEIR

EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE, ARE MOST ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE EFFECTIVELY

TO THE WORK OF THE GROUP. THE GROUP'S TERMS OF REFERENCE

REQUIRE IT TO CONSIDER AT AN EARLY STAGE, INTER ALIA, ACTION TO

BE TAKEN BY THE TWO GOVERNMENTS TO ENSURE THE MAINTENANCE OF

HONG KONG'S PARTICIPATION IN THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND

TRADE (GATT), THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL

THUS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO DESIGNATE

ARRANGEMENTS.

MR ERIC HO AS ONE OF THE FIVE MEMBERS ON THE BRITISH SIDE.

5. THIS DECISION CAUSED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SOME DIFFICULTY

AS THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS HOLD DIFFERENT VIEWS ON

THE NATIONALITY STATUS OF HONG KONG BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

CITIZENS (BDTCS) OF CHINESE ETHNIC ORIGIN (THE CHINESE REGARD

THEM AS CHINESE NATIONALS). THE RESPECTIVE POSITIONS OF THE

TWO GOVERNMENTS WERE SET OUT IN THE TWO MEMORANDA EXCHANGED AT

THE TIME THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED.

IT WAS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO FIND A WAY ROUND THESE

DIFFICULTIES. ON 11 MAY MR HO APPLIED FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP

UNDER SECTION 4(5) OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981. THE

HOME SECRETARY CONSIDERED MR HO'S APPLICATION IN THE LIGHT OF

THE CRITERIA SET OUT IN THAT SECTION AND HAS DECIDED TO REGISTER

HIM. AS A BRITISH CITIZEN MR HO'S STATUS WILL NOT BE RELEVANT

TO THE DIFFERENCE OF VIEW REFLECTED IN THE EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA.

THE DECISION DOES NOT ALTER IN ANY WAY IN THE BRITISH

GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS, AND THE POSITION IN BRITISH LAW, THAT BDTCS

(WHATEVER THEIR ETHNIC ORIGIN) ARE BRITISH NATIONALS.

COMPOSITION OF THE LAND COMMISSION.

7.

ANNEX 3 OF THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES THAT A LAND COMMISSION WILL

BE ESTABLISHED ON ENTRY INTO TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT COMPOSED

OF AN EQUAL NUMBER OF OFFICIALS DESIGNATED BY THE TWO GOVERNMENTS

RESPECTIVELY. THE TWO GOVERNMENTS HAVE AGREED THAT EACH SIDE

WILL DESIGNATE THREE MEMBERS. ON THE BRITISH SIDE THEY WILL BE:

MR JR TODD CVO (HONG KONG DIRECTOR OF LANDS)

MR N M GLEESON (HONG KONG REGISTRAR GENERAL)

MR JC CHAN OBE (DEPUTY SECRETARY (GENERAL DUTIES) HONG KONG)

judyante you notatum po

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