CONFIDENTIAL
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CONFIDENTIAL
FM PEKING
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 819
OF 1208O9Z MAY 1989
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG K
FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR PAUL, H K D.
HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR.
200
221
YOUR TELNOS 412 AND 428 AND HONG KONG TELNO 1483.
NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS: CHINESE ATTITUDES.
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1.
MISS BAILES WAS ABLE TO TAKE ACTION IN A LOW-KEY WAY WITH GUO FENGMIN AT A LUNCH I HOSTED ON 12 MAY. SHE TOOK GUO THROUGH WHAT ZHOU NAN HAD SAID TO THE F A C, EXPLAINED THAT THE MPS HAD BEEN VERY IMPRESSED BY THIS AND THERE WAS A CONTINUING DEBATE ON THE MATTER IN LONDON AND HONG KONG, AND ASKED IF THE CHINESE SIDE COULD CLARIFY IN EXACTLY WHICH WAY ZHOU'S REMARKS ABOUT IT BEING ''THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S AFFAIR'' SHOULD BE INTERPRETED.
2. GUO DISCLAIMED DIRECT KNOWLEDGE, BUT READILY OFFERED TO CHECK
HE WENT WITH ZHOU NAN AND GIVE US AN INFORMAL AND DISCREET REPLY. ON, HOWEVER, TO ASK IF H M G WAS CONSIDERING ANY CHANGE IN ITS POLICY ON NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS. MISS BAILES SAID SHE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS, BUT SUPPOSED IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF ALL FACTORS, INCLUDING THE VIEWS OF CHINA, AT A TIME WHEN THE ISSUE WAS ONCE MORE A FOCUS OF PUBLIC DEBATE. GUO THEN REFERRED TO SUGGESTIONS HE HAD HEARD WHILE VISITING HONG KONG RECENTLY THAT THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK MIGHT BE EXTENDED TO ONE OR MORE LIMITED CATEGORIES SUCH AS CIVIL SERVANTS. MISS BAILES SAID SHE BELIEVED SUCH IDEAS WERE ALL PART OF THE PUBLIC SPECULATION IN HONG KONG, WHICH HAD ALSO BEEN REFLECTED IN THE MEDIA. GUO FINALLY ASKED, IN A MEANING WAY, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAD SETTLED IN THE UK FROM INDIA AT THE TIME OF INDEPENDENCE. WE SAID (I HAD JOINED THE CONVERSATION AT THIS POINT) THAT WE SIMPLY HAD NO IDEA, BUT THAT THE PERCENTAGE WAS PROBABLY QUITE LOW. INDIA'S POPULATION WAS OF COURSE FAR GREATER TO START WITH.
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