TNAG-1991-FCO40-2831-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Nationality-(Hong-Kong)-Selectio-1990 — Page 34

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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

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Action Taken

NATIONALITY PACKAGE: CHINESE REACTION

1. THE HONG KONG PRESS HAVE REPORTED THE STATEMENT BY THE CHINESE MFA SPOKESMAN THAT THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE WAS BEING STUDIED AND THAT CHINA RESERVED THE RIGHT TO COMMENT ON THE ISSUE. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD APPROACH THE QUESTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND ITS MEMORANDA.

2. A HELPFUL STATEMENT BY LI HOU HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED. HE APPARENTLY TOLD A GROUP OF HONG KONG JOURNALISTS IN PEKING THAT THERE WOULD BE NO/NO RESTRICTIONS WHATSOEVER ON THE FREEDOM OF TRAVEL OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, WHETHER CHINESE OR FOREIGN, AFTER 1997. HONG KONG PEOPLE HOLDING FULL BRITISH PASSPORTS OR U.S. OR CANADIAN PASSPORTS WOULD BE CONSIDERED FOREIGNERS AND WOULD ENJOY CONSULAR PROTECTION BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, BUT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ENJOY THEIR RIGHTS AS CHINESE CITIZENS AT THE SAME TIME SINCE CHINA DID NOT ACCEPT DUAL NATIONALITY. BNO PASSPORT HOLDERS WOULD BE CONSIDERED CHINESE NATIONALS. THEY COULD USE THE BNO PASSPORT AS A TRAVEL DOCUMENT, BUT THEY WOULD NOT ENJOY BRITISH CONSULAR PROTECTION ON CHINESE SOIL.

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