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29/1
Hong Kong Department
CONFIDENTIAL
Гнии
Hun 040149222
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
3 FEB 1986
DESK OFFICEK
REGISTRY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
FROM:
P J westma
DATE: 29 January 1986
CC:
Dr Wilson, FED
HONG KONG:
1.
NATIONALITY
Over dinner one night in Peking, Ambassador Ke, leader of the Chinese JLG delegation, asked me about the nationality problem.
2. I gave him a short account of the background, mentioning the three points which figured in the UMELCO petition, and the strong Parliamentary interest in the subject in Britain. I concentrated on the non-ethnic Chinese, explaining that their concern was derived principally from uncertainty as to how the Chinese authorities would react to their applications for Chinese nationality after 1997. I said that we had noted at the last JLG meeting that the Chinese Government had not felt able to say anything about "favourable" consideration. Nevertheless, speaking personally, I believed that it would help to restore the confidence of this important section of the Hong Kong community if the Chinese authorities were able, at some point in the future, to make more encouraging noises. I stressed the key role played by the Indians in the Hong Kong economy and the importance to all our interests in ensuring that they did not lose confidence in their future, and seek to leave Hong Kong. It was, frankly, unhelpful for certain newspapers in Hong Kong to run stories saying that this was a purely British problem: Britain could not provide a form of nationality for non-Chinese living in Hong Kong after the expiry of their BOC status.
3. Ambassador Ke appeared to listen carefully. He commented that it was indeed important not to destroy the confidence of the non-ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong. It had been left at the last JLG meeting that the British side would provide further details about the problem. He looked forward to receiving them.
4.
Ke gave no indication of the urgency with which he and his colleagues would wish to look again at this question. There is obviously a danger that returning to the charge too soon might risk a rebuff. On the other hand, I had the impression that the
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