TNAG-1472-FCO40-2003-Ministerial-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 224

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31.

Mr. Renton said he very much hoped that there would be a convergence of views on this problem. The Home Office had a real problem

(although admittedly much smaller than the one country, two systems' problem) in that they did not wish to mislead.

32.

In reply to Mr. TAI Chin-wah's question about the right to land after 1997 of Chinese born in Hong Kong who had acquired foreign nationality, Mr. Renton undertook to check the detailed position and give a written reply.

33.

Referring to Mr. Renton's statement about ethnic minorities and ex-servicemen, Mr. Stephen Cheong asked whether there was much hope for them. In reply, Mr. Renton said he would not wish to minimise the very considerable difficulties as described by Ministers in Parliament. The grant of British citizenship to the ethnic minorities would not solve the problem of statelessness, given that under the British Nationality Act 1981 British citizenship could only be transmitted to one generation born abroad. But as he had disclosed earlier a team of Hong Kong officials would be going to London to establish the facts and to examine the issues further. The position of ex-servicemen was exactly the same. There was no provision under the British Nationality Act 1981 to cover ex-servicemen who served in UK contingents. He recognised the degree of sensitivity but it would not be right to gloss over UKG's difficulties.

CONFIDENTIAL