TNAG-1559-FCO40-2123-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 27

GRS 550

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 310-

OF 300255Z JANUARY 86

HACK 040/4

RACOWEN IJ PEČISTRY

30 JAN 1936

M

USTRY

TOP COPY

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

MIPT: NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL

TEXT OF MISS DUNN'S STATEMENT IS AS FOLLOWS :

STATEMENT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THE

DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986.

WITH YOUR PERMISSION, SIR, I SHOULD LIKE TO MAKE A STATEMENT AS

A MATTER OF PRIME CONCERN TO ME AND TO MY UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES. WE

ARE STILL AWAITING THE OUTCOME TO THE CALLS MADE IN THIS COUNCIL

FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSALS SET OUT IN MY LETTER DATED 3RD JANUARY, 1986 WHICH WAS TABLED IN THIS COUNCIL A FORTNIGHT AGO. HOWEVER, MY COLLEGAUES AND HAVE NOTED THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR. TIMOPHY RENTON'S ASSURANCE

ON 24TH JANUARY THAT HMG WILL AGREE TO OUR REQUEST FOR AN ENDORSEMENT

IN THE NEW BNO PASSPORT WHICH WOULD MAKE CLEAR THAT HOLDERS OF THESE

PASSPORTS WILL NOT REQUIRE ENTRY VISAS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR

BONA FIDE VISITS. WE ALSO WELCOME THE NEWS THAT A TEAM OF HONG KONG

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WILL VISIT LONDON TO PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION

ON THE NON-ETHNIC MINORITIES AND THE STATUS OF EX-SERVICEMEN. THESE

ARE POSITIVE INITIATIVES IN RESPONSE TO THE SERIOUS CONCERN IN HONG

KONG ABOUT THESE IMPORTANT MATTERS AND WE WELCOME THEM.

THE MINISTER OF STATE HAS SAID THAT THE ENDORSEMENT IN THE

PASSPORT IS SUBJECT TO A SATISFACTORY FORMULA BEING FOUND. WE ARE

SURE THAT THIS CAN BE WORKED OUT. AS I SAID BEFORE, WHERE THERE IS A (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) WILL, THE IS A (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) WAY.''

I SHOULD LIKE TO MAKE CLEAR YET AGAIN THAT WE DO NOT SEEK TO BE

EXEMPTED FROM NORMAL IMMIGRATION FORMALITIES ON THAT POINT, THERE

IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR POSITION AND THAT OF THE BRIT‍ISH

GOVERNMENT.

WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY THE MINISTER'S ASSURANCE THAT ''MINDS ARE NOT CLOSED'' IN WESTMINSTER ON THE PLIGHT OF THE NON-ETHNIC

MINORITIES AND EX-SERVICEMEN. WE HOPE THAT WAYS AND MEANS OF

MEETING FULLY THEIR CONCERNS WILL BE EXPLORED IN THE LIGHT OF THE

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE HONG KONG TEAM OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

MEANWHILE, THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF BOTH THE EXECUTIVE AND

LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS HAVE FORMED AN AD HOC GROUP TO EXAMINE ANY

TECHNICAL ISSUES THERE MAY BE AND TO MONITOR DEVELOPMENTS CLOSELY.

I WE

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