TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 290

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PEOPLE IN PREPARATION FOR IMPLEMENTING THE CONCEPT OF 'HK PEOPLE RUNNING HK.' HE NOTED THAT SINO-HK RELATIONS HAD BECOME CLOSER AND CLOSER EVERY DAY. WITHOUT A STABLE CHINA, HK'S CONTINUED PROSPERITY AND STABILITY WOULD NOT BE SAFEGUARDED, HE ADDED.

NATIONALITY

5. QUOTING SOURCES, A FEW PAPERS (24.5) REPORTED THAT THE PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE HAD COMPLETED ITS EXAMINATION OF

THE NATIONALITY BILL AND THAT NONE OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO

THE BILL HAD BEEN ACCEPTED. THE PAPERS EXPECTED THAT THE BILL WOULD

GO TO THE COMMONS FOR THIRD READING EARLY NEXT MONTH. AUSTRALIA WOULD INFORM BRITAIN IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS THAT IT WOULD NOT FOLLOW BRITAIN IN PROVIDING A NATIONALITY PACKAGE FOR HK PEOPLE, A FEW PAPERS 24.5) REPORTED.

6. THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES (29.5), QUOTING A CHINESE SOURCE, SAID THAT THE CORRESPONDING MEASURES, PLANNED BY THE CHINESE IN RESPONSE TO THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE, WERE TARGETED AT THE PROBLEM OF ALLEGIANCE OF SAR CIVIL SERVANTS. THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND BUSINESSMEN WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED. THE SOURCE STRESSED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE DID NOT WANT THESE MEASURES TO DEAL A HEAVY BLOW TO

THE HK COMMUNITY. THE SOURCE SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD BE

VERY CAREFUL IN DESIGNING THESE MEASURES FOR FEAR THAT THEY WOULD UNDERMINE THE STABILITY OF THE COMMUNITY. THE CHINESE SIDE MIGHT NOT ANNOUNCE THESE MEASURES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE

BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME IN PARLIAMENT. HE SAID THE CHINESE SIDE WAS WORRIED THAT IF MANY KEY OFFICIALS IN THE SARG HAD BRITISH NATIONALITY, THEY WOULD LEAVE HK AS SOON AS EMERGENCIES AROSE. AS A RESULT, THE HK COMMUNITY WOULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED.

7. IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED NEW RULES UNDER WHICH FOREIGN RESIDENTS MIGHT APPLY FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCY IN HK AFTER STAYING IN THE TERRITORY FOR SEVEN YEARS, THE MEDIA (27.5) REPORTED. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH TA KUNG PAO (27.5), BL LOCAL DRAFTER LIU YIU-CHU WAS WORRIED THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS MIGHT APPLY FOR PERMANENT HK RESIDENCY THUS AFFECTING THE TERRITORY'S POLITICAL EQUILIBRIUM.

BILL OF RIGHTS

8. THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES (26.5) QUOTED A CHINESE SOURCE AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE WERE GREATLY DISSATISFIED WITH THE BRITISH BECAUSE

THEY HAD NOT YET AGREED TO DISCUSS THE DRAFT BILL OF RIGHTS AND TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT. THE CHINESE SIDE BELIEVED THAT THE BILL HAD INFRINGED ON MORE THAN FIVE PROVISIONS OF THE BL. THEY

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