TNAG-1559-FCO40-2123-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 147

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INDEX

TELNO 223

OF 211035Z JANUARY 86

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

ias

YOUR TELNO 124: WHITE PAPER ON NATIONALITY: MR RENTON'S VISIT

TO HONG KONG.

1. YOU WILL SEE FROM MY TELNO 224 THAT THE BAND WAGGON HIS ROLLING

AND THAT WHEN HE ARRIVES ON THRUSDAY MR RENTON WILL FIND THE MEDIA

AND PUBLIC OPINION FIRMLY BEHIND THE LEGCO PROPOSALS. THE PRESS #S GEARING ITSELF UP FOR A MAJOR ROW, WHICH WILL NO DOUBT BE SEIZED ON BY THE FOREIGN PRESS FOR THEIR INTERNATIONAL SERVICES. IF THIS OCCURS THERE WILL BE A SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF GOOD WILL AND CREDIBILITY ALL ROUND.

2. EVERY EFFORT MUST THEREFORE BE MADE TO USE MR RENTON'S VISIT TO DEFUSE THE SITUATION AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. IF ONE ADDITIONAL STEP

COULD BE AGREED BETWEEN NOW AND MR RENTON'S ARRIVAL THERE IS LITTLE

DOUBT THAT SOME OF THE HEAT WOULD BE TAKEN OUT OF THE ARGUMENT.

3. GIVEN WHAT WAS SAID IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS YESTERDAY (PARA 2 OF YOUR TELNO 124) AND THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARA 3 OF THAT TELEGRAM, IT WOULD NOT GO MUCH FURTHER TO SAY THAT, PROVIDING AN ACCEPTABLE FORMULA CAN BE FOUND, HMG WOULD AGREE TO AN APPROPRIATE ENDORSEMENT IN THE BN (0) PASSPORT. IF THIS IS TO BE THE EVENTUAL

POSITION IT WOULD BE FAR BETTER TO USE IT POSITIVELY NOW AS EVIDENCE

OF WILLINGNESS TO MEET LEGCO'S CONCERNS THAN TO HAVE IT DRAGGED

UNWILLINGLY OUT OF HMG AFTER A MAJOR ROW HERE. IF THIS STEP COULD BE TAKEN MR RENTON WOULD THEN BE ABLE TO TAKE A MORE POSITIVE LINE

BOTH WITH THE UNOFFICIALS AND AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE. THIS COULD

LEAD TO A STATEMENT SOMETHING ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:

THE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE CLEAR THAT, AS REGARDS AN ENDORSEMENT ON THE BN(0) PASSPORT, PROVIDING A SATISFACTORY FORMULA CAN BE FOUND HMG WILL AGREE TO IT BEING ENDORSED IN THE PASSPORTS. AS REGARDS THE