TNAG-1566-FCO40-2131-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 175

with the United Kingdom or with a dependent territory or former

dependency as the case may be. Thus people connected with former

dependencies generally became British Overseas citizens. There are some

two million BOCs in the world, of whom about 800,000 have no other

nationality. To grant British citizenship rather than BOC, to the

non-ethnic Chinese would have implications for these.

d) BDTCs of Indian origin in Hong Kong have made it plain

through their Council that they wish to continue to live in Hong

Kong. Granting them British citizenship, and thus right of abode

in the United Kingdom, will not help to do this. Their future

is safeguarded by the agreement.

e)

There is no substance in the suggestion (made by the

Council of Hong Kong Indian Associations) that the Agreement

with the Chinese, or the provisions of Article 6, are racially

based. The Government recognise an obligation to ensure that

no-one is left stateless in 1997. The provisions made will

apply to any former Hong Kong BDTCS, whatever their ethnic

origin, who do not become BN (0)s and who would otherwise be

stateless, and their children and grandchildren. All Hong Kong

BDTCS, whatever their ethnic origin, will be entitled to acquire

BN (0) status.

f) The provisions of Article 6 will enable non-ethnic Chinese

Hong Kong BDTCs and their descendents to retain a form of British

nationality for 3 generations, until about the middle of the

next century. By then the link with Britain will be more than

tenuous. The Government believe that the right way for these

people who are living in what will by then have been part of

China for over 50 years will be to seek Chinese nationality.

g)

The position would be exactly the same if the non-ethnic

Chinese BDTCs were to be granted British citizenship. It has been

a principle of our nationality law for many years that our citizen-

ship can be transmitted to only one generation born abroad. The

children born outside the United Kingdom after 1997 to non-ethnic

Chinese would therefore be British citizens by descent, and could

not transmit that citizenship to the next generation, ie the

grandchildren. That generation will have an entitlement to

D1.2