UNCLASSIFIED
174701
MDLIAN 8045
THE ARRIVAL OF MR MAUDE IN THE TERRITORY. THEY NOTED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THAT MR MAUDE HAD BEEN APPOINTED AS FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY AND THAT HE WOULD REPORT TO THE TREASURY AFTER HIS PEKING VISIT. MOST REPORTS (24.7) PLAYED UP MR MAUDE'S STATEMENT ISSUED ON HIS ARRIVAL THAT HIS VISIT TO PEKING WAS BECAUSE THE HK QUESTION WAS AN IMPORTANT AND URGENT ONE AND THAT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE BRITISH AND HK GOVERNMENTS TO MAINTAIN GOOD AND CO-OPERATIVE RELATIONS WITH CHINA.
5. EDITORIALLY, A NUMBER OF PAPERS (18 - 24.7) WERE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MR MAUDE'S VISIT TO PEKING. WEN WEI PO (24.7) SAID THAT CHINA WELCOMED MR MAUDE'S VISIT AND HOPED THAT THE VISIT WOULD HELP RESTORE GOOD SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS. IT SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE DRAFT DILL OF RIGHTS, THE AIRPORT PROJECT AND THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRST DISCUSSED WITH CHINA BEFORE THEY WERE MADE PUBLIC, IT WAS NOT TOO LATE FOR BOTH SIDES TO HOLD DISCUSSIONS ON THESE ISSUES SO AS TO WORK OUT SOLUTIONS TO THEM ON THE PRINCIPLES SET OUT IN JD.
NATIONALITY
6. THE MEDIA (24.7) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE THAT THE THIRD READING OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY (HK) BILL WAS PASSED IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS WITH NO AMENDMENT. THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HK HAD WRITTEN TO THE HOME SECRETARY ASKING FOR THE AWARD OF EXTRA POINTS TO LOCAL STAFF OF BRITISH COMPANIES UNDER THE NATIONALITY SCHEME WHICH ALLOWED EMPLOYEES OF BRITISH FIRMS TO ACQUIRE CITIZENSHIP THROUGH WORKING IN THE UK. HE SAID THAT BRITISH FIRMS IN HK WERE LOSING KEY STAFF TO OTHER FOREIGN FIRMS. THE MEDIA (23 AND 24.7) REPORTED THAT THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR NATURALISATION SOARED RECENTLY BECAUSE OF THE NEWS THAT ROYAL ASSENT FOR THE BRITISH NATIONALITY (HK) BILL WOULD BE OBTAINED ON THE 27TH OF THIS MONTH. THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT SAID THE 3,028 APPLICATIONS HAD BEEN RECEIVED SO FAR IN JULY.
BILL OF RIGHTS
7. QUOTING SOURCES, THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES (24.7) REPORTED THAT FCO HAD PROPOSED TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS TO THE LETTERS PATENT: QUOTE THE PROVISIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS AS APPLIED TO HK SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THE LAWS OF HK. NO LAW OF HK MADE AFTER THE COMING INTO OPERATION OF THE HK LETTERS PATENT (NO. 2) 1990 RESTRICT THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS ENJOYED IN HK IN A MANNER WHICH IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE COVENANT AS APPLIED TO HK. UNQUOTE
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