TNAG-1991-FCO40-2831-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Nationality-(Hong-Kong)-Selectio-1990 — Page 174

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELNO 3037

OF 13120OZ SEPTEMBER 89

HK i

CONFIDENTIAL

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

200

131507

MDLIAN DD16

DIST ? pwr (all) new file Nationality Package:

BASIC LAW: MAINLAND DRAFTERS' VISIT TO MACAU: NATIONALITY

Chinese cffitude.

for

27/11

YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT WHILE IN MACAU LU PING SPOKE ABOUT NATIONALITY AND THE QUESTION OF WHETHER ETHNIC CHINESE HOLDING PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS WOULD BE SEEN AS CHINESE CITIZENS AFTER 1997. THE LOCAL PRESS QUOTED HIM TO THE EFFECT THAT MACAU CHINESE WHO HOLD PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS WOULD STILL BE REGARDED AS CHINESE NATIONALS SINCE CHINA DOES NOT ACCEPT DUAL NATIONALITY. AFTER 1997 THEIR PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS WOULD BE REGARDED AS TRAVEL DOCUMENTS BUT COULD NOT BE USED TO ENTER THE MAINLAND, AND WHILE ON THE MAINLAND WOULD NOT HAVE PORTUGUESE CONSULAR PROTECTION.

2. WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER DIFFERENT PRESS REPORTS OF LU'S COMMENTS WITH A VIEW TO PICKING THIS UP IN THE JLG BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS FOR HONG KONG.

3. IN ADDITION YOU MAY WISH TO KNOWN THAT COTTRELL (THE INDEPENDENT) HAS BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS IN HONG KONG AND MAY PURSUE THE LINE THAT THERE IS NO POINT IN THE UK GIVING FULL BRITISH PASSPORTS IF THE RECIPIENTS WILL SIMPLY BE TREATED BY THE CHINESE AS CHINESE NATIONALS, IN THE SAME WAY AS THEY REGARD BDTCS, AFTER 19976.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

59

.HONG KONG AGREEMENT

.(RESTRICTED)

LIMITED

HKD

DISTRIBUTION

62

PAGE

NEWS D

PS/MR MAUDE PS/LORD BRABAZON

MR GILLMORE

1

CONFIDENTIAL