CONFIDENTIAL
0207 MDHIAN 9349
1556
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 021400Z FCO
TELNO 798
OF 02120OZ MARCH 90
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TOP COPY O DIST?
HKC340/1
RECEN
ESTRY
- MAN 1990
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY Action Taken
PEKING TELNO 328 TO YOU: STATEMENT BY MFA SPOKESMAN ON THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE, 1 MARCH
1. THE MFA STATEMENT RECEIVED WIDE COVERAGE IN TODAY'S PRESS. THE HONG KONG STANDARD ALSO REPORTED THAT THE MFA MADE A SIMILAR STATEMENT RELATING TO PORTUGUESE PASSPORTS ISSUED TO ETHNIC CHINESE RESIDENTS OF MACAO TO THE LUSA NEWS AGENCY IN PEKING. RELEVANT PRESS ARTICLES ARE BEING FAXED TO HKD.
2. WHILE WE ARE CONSCIOUS OF THE DANGER OF PROVOKING A FURTHER CHINESE BROADSIDE WE THINK A FIRM PUBLIC RESPONSE IS NEEDED. WE SUGGEST THIS MIGHT BE ALONG THE LINES OF PARA. 4 IN TUR, PERHAPS ADDING THAT WE CONSIDER THE LATEST CHINESE STATEMENT UNHELPFUL.
3. WE THINK THERE MAY ALSO BE MERIT IN GIVING MORE IN-DEPTH BACKGROUND BRIEFINGS TO SELECTED JOURNALISTS BOTH HERE AND IN LONDON. THIS MIGHT USEFULLY DRAW ON THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
WE BELIEVE THAT THE CHINESE ARE TRYING TO DEVALUE THE PACKAGE, BOTH IN THE EYES OF POTENTIAL BENEFICIARIES AND BRITISH MPS. THEY ARE HOPING THAT THE PACKAGE WILL NOT GET THROUGH PARLIAMENT, AND THEIR STATEMENTS ARE DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE THIS AIM.
WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD CHOOSE TO REGARD ALL HOLDERS OF FOREIGN PASSPORTS WHO ARE ETHNICALLY CHINESE AS CHINESE NATIONALS WHEN ON CHINESE SOIL. SUCH A MOVE WOULD BE STRONGLY OPPOSED BY OTHER COUNTRIES AND WOULD HURT CHINA'S WIDER INTERESTS. WE SEE THIS AS A THREAT DESIGNED TO DISSUADE OTHER COUNTRIES FROM OFFERING SCHEMES SIMILAR TO THE UK PACKAGE.
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THE MAIN POINT OF THE UK PACKAGE IS THAT THE BENEFICIARIES WILL HAVE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK. THE CHINESE CANNOT DEPRIVE BENEFICIARIES OF THIS RIGHT. THERE IS THUS A SAFETY NET WHATEVER
THE CHINESE MAY SAY.
THE JD MAKES CLEAR THAT THERE WILL BE FREEDOM OF TRAVEL AFTER
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CONFIDENTIAL
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