TNAG-1393-FCO40-1865-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 12

JALANO

CONFIDENTIAL

ETING OF UK COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF COMMITTEE

HONG KONG

JOINT LIAISON GROUP

1.

Second meeting of Joint Liaison Group

Declaration taking place in Peking from

from 26

REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

set

-

up under Joint

29 November.

2.

of

Spirit of cooperation since signature

agreement last December slightly soured by press conference given by Chinese senior representative in Hong Kong (Xu Jiatun of NCNA) on 21 November in

which he suggested that the UK was breaching the agreement by pressing ahead with the development of more representative government. We will be discussing question of representative government with the Chinese in the Joint Liaison Group, giving them.

an account of the limited steps taken far to introduce indirect

elections (which were foreseen in the agreement

breach its terms).

So

and thus do not

NATIONALITY

3.

at

Other subject of particular sensitivity in Hong Kong present is nationality. We have published in October a draft Order.

in Council which will implement nationality aspects of agreement. Under this Hong Kong BDTCs will lose that status from 1 July 1997 but will be able to acquire new form of British nationality (British

National (Overseas)) and retain i t for the rest of their lives.

Will be debated in Parliament in December.

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN

40

1 0 1 1 DIN AS DE AR

CLOSED FOR

YEARS UNDER FOI

EXEMPTION No...27,

CONFIDENTIAL