TNAG-1562-FCO40-2126-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 50

E.R.

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uch optimism in the Colony but the atmosphere had become soured Over the past 12 months and the nationality position of the non- ethnic Chinese had played an important part in this. Unless the Government was prepared to be generous the atmosphere would remain bad and the credibility of the unofficial council members, on whom much would depend both before and after 1997, would be impaired. The number of people who stood to benefit from a concession was not very great, perhaps 11,000 in all and many of those were unlikely to wish to come to the United Kingdom. What they wanted was an insurance policy for 1997. If the Government so wished, the concession could be time-limited so that those eligible would have to exercise their right within a fixed period after 1997. There was not, in the view of the deputation, a difficulty about ring fencing the concession. The three and a quarter million ethnic Chinese would not seek to jump on the bandwagon; the legislative council were firm on this point. There was a possible problem in appearing to harm the spirit of the Anglo/Chinese agreement but all recent Chinese statements had made it clear that the issue was one for the British Government. The head of the China news agency had made it clear that the Chinese would not be the offended if British conceded British nationality to the non-

ethnic Chinese. The Portugese planned to be more generous to their own nationals and the Chinese had not raised any objection to that. So far as Hong Kong was concerned it was difficult to see that there would be any knock on effect in respect of British possessions or former British possessions elsewhere. The knock on effects within the Colony were resistable because the non-ethnic Chinese were in a special position: unlike the ethnic Chinese they would not have the right to Chinese nationality in 1997.

5.

In response the Home Secretary said that the Government had yet to reach a decision. An announcement would be made shortly after Easter when the necessary order would be laid before Parliament. The deputation had set out the arguments for a concession very clearly and cogently. The arguments did not all run one way however. The fact was that the Anglo/Chinese agreement had been well received in the United Kingdom in a way that would not have been true had the public thought that a significant number of new immigrants were likely to come here as a result of it. While 11,000 might not seem a large number in absolute terms it would, in the Home Secretary's view, be sufficient to generate considerable public interest and controversy here. Second, the difficulties of ring fencing any concession were possibly greater than had been suggested. the Government started down the road of issuing insurance policies for particular groups it would find it more difficult to resist subsequent bids which, while not envisaged now, could come in before 1997. There was a further consideration: to concede full British citizenship would tend to confirm the doubts of those who questioned the value of British overseas citizenship generally.

6. After discussion, Lord Cledwyn and Lord Maclehose said that in their view it was important for the Government not to close the door to the legislative councillors altogether. If the concession could not be granted in its entirety at this stage they hoped very

/much that for the sake