TNAG-2118-FCO40-3024-Future-of-Hong-Kong-general-1990 — Page 14

this basis that more than 3 million would still

claim a broader base for their British dependent

territory citizenship than the Westminster

Parliament has, since 1981 (?) been prepared to

allow.

It was against that relatively cloudy background

that British negotiators started, in 1982, to

persuade the Chinese Government to grant an

extension, beyond 1997, of British sovereignty

over the whole territory. This initial bid was

by no means acceptable to the Chinese. then sought to secure, for a substantial period

into the future, the right to administer the

territory after the expiry of the lease in 1997.

This too was not acceptable to the Chinese.

Britain

At the end of the day, Britain and China came to

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