GRS 2000
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 267
OF 27064OZ JANUARY 86
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
TOP COPY
PEK
Дыни осон
040
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 4 JAN 1986
182
1881
MIPT
NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
INDE
PA
Action Taken
MEDIA COVERAGE AND COMMENT ON MR. RENTON'S PRESS CONFERENCE
ON 24 JANUARY IS AS FOLLOWS-
W
COVERAGE
THE NEWS MEDIA GAVE MASSIVE COVERAGE TO FCO MINISTER TIMOTHY
RENTON'S PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY. SOME PAPERS, INCLUDING MING PAO, WAH KIU YAT PO AND THE LEFT-WING WEN WET PO AND TA KUNG PAO,
PUBLISHED A CHINESE TRANSCRIPT OF THE QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION.
REACTION TO MR RENTON'S ASSURANCES ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUE WAS
GENERALLY FAVOURABLE. THE MAIN CRITICISM WAS THAT HE DID NOT SHED
NEW LIGHT ON THE QUESTION OF POLITICAL REFORMS AND THE NEED FOR
CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASHC LAW.
COVERAGE IN BOTH INDEPENDENT AND LEFT-WING PAPERS WAS
BALANCED, WITH MANY PAPERS USING POSITIVE HEADLINES SAYING THAT
UMELCO MEMBERS WERE ENCOURAGED BY MR RENTONS' ASSURANCES. SOME
PAPERS, HINCLUDING SING TAO JIH PAO, SAND IN HEADLINES THAT THE
GOVERNOR WAS CONFIDENT THAT A SATISFACTORY ENDORSEMENT ON THE
BN(0) PASSPORT WOULD BE FOUND TO ENSURE THE HOLDER'S ENTRY TO THE
UK WITHOUT A VISA.
THE PRESS ALSO NOTED PROMINENTLY THAT UMELCO MEMBERS DECIDED
TO FORM AN AD HOC GROUP TO LIAISE WITH AND CLOSELY MONITOR THE
WORK OF THE TEAM OF HK GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO WOULD BE GOING
TO LONDON TO PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE TERRITORY'S
MINORITIES AND THE STATUS OF EX-SERVICEMEN HERE.
ACCORDING THE THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS' LONDON CORRESPONDENT,, A
HOME OFFICE OFFICIAL SAID THAT IF AN ENDORSEMENT WAS TO BE ADDED
TO THE BN (0) PASSPORT, THE WORDING WOULD HAVE TO BE DECIDED BEFORE MARCH. THE OFFICIAL WELCOMED THE HK GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO SEND
A TEAM TO LONDON TO DISCUSS THE WORDING OF THE ENDORSEMENT.
PUBLIC REACTION
UMELCO, HIN A STATEMENT ISSUED AFTER AN IN-HOUSE MEETING YESTERDAY, WELCOMED THE UNDERTAKING GIVEN BY MR RENTON ON THE BN(0) QUESTION AND SAID IT WAS ENCOURAGED BY HIS ASSURANCE THAT
BRITAIN WOULD KEEP AN OPEN MIND ON THE ETHNIC MINORITIES AND EX- SERVANCEMENT ISSUES. THE STATEMENT SAND MEMBERS WERE UNANIMOUS THAT /THEY
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