TNAG-1564-FCO40-2129-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 23

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B) UNOFFICIALS' RESPONSE. EIGHT UNOFFICIALS WERE WIDELY REPORTED AS HAVING ATTENDED THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S BRIEFING LAST NIGHT. THEY WERE REPOPTED AS TOEING THE LINE THAT THEIR FORMAL REACTION WOULD DEPEND ON THEIR IN-HOUSE MEETING TOMORROW. SZETO WAH IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT HMG'S CONCESSIONS DESERVED 73 POINTS OUT OF A HUNDRED: AND THAT THE RESPONSE TO THE MINORITIES' REQUEST WAS UNSATISFACTORY BUT SOME PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE. DESMOND LEE IS REPORTED TO HAVE SAID THAT MORE EFFORTS WOULD BE NECESSARY TO PRESS HOME THE MINORITIES

REQUEST.

B. ENGLISH-LANGUAGE PRESS

5. 90TH SCMP AND HK STANDARD ADOPTED AS THEIR HEADLINES HMG'S REJECTION OF THE MINORITIES' REQUEST. THEIR REPORTS ARE OTHERWISE FAIRLY BALANCED. BOTH PAPERS REPORTED THE INDIANS' ASSOCIATION'S DESCRIPTION OF THE REJECTION AS 'DISGUSTING'. THE HK STANDARD REPORTED THE JCW'S CONDEMNATION OF THE REJECTION, AND THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF MARTIN LEE AND ANDREW WONG AT THE REJECTION. IT ALSO REPORTED THE SOMEWHAT PESSIMISTIC REACTION OF LORD CHITNIS AND

MR. ALFRED DUBS.

6. ON THE FORMER SERVICEMEN, BOTH PAPERS REPORTED THE FAVOURABLE REACTION OF JACK EDWARDS, THEIR REPRESENTATIVE. COMPARATIVELY SMALL COVERAGE WAS GIVEN TO THE ENDORSEMENT IN BN(0) PASSPORTS. THE STANDARD ALSO PROMINENTLY COVERED CHIEF SECRETARY'S FAVOURABLE

REACTION.

YOUDE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/NTD

RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)

DEP HD/PUSD

PS

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING MR WILSON MR BARRINGTON

COPIES TO:

MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR GRAINGER, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD

MR HYDE, HOME OFFICE

MR EMERY, B4 DIV, HOME OFFICE, CROYDON

MR NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE

ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.

MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

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