RESTRICTED
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 190900OZ FCO
TELNO 257
OF 19082OZ JANUARY 90
HKC340/1
033003
MDHIAN 3129
TOP COPY DIST ?
RECEIVED IN REGISTRI
12 FEB 1990
DESK OFFICER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG
UKREPI KONG
MIPT: UK NATIONALITY SCHEME
REGISTRY Action Taken
CHINESE VIEWS
1. THE CHIEF SECRETARY RESPONDED TO ONE QUESTION ASKED BY THE PRESS FOLLOWING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF AN EXHIBITION 'HONG KONG INTO THE NINETIES' TRANSCRIPT IS AS FOLLOWS:
·
Q: SIR DAVID, THE CALL FOR THE SHELVING OF THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE....?
CS: I THINK ON THE QUESTION OF NATIONALITY, WE MUST PUT THE WHOLE THING IN PERSPECTIVE AND NOT OVER-REACT TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN GUANGZHOU. IT'S BEEN MADE CLEAR THAT THESE ARE EARLY PROPOSALS AND CLEARLY WE WOULD WANT TO STUDY WHAT APPEARS IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW. BUT THESE PROPOSALS COME AS NO GREAT SURPRISE TO US. AFTERALL, THERE IS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION A VERY CLEAR INDICATION THAT AS FAR AS PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS ARE CONCERNED THAT THEY SHOULD BE CHINESE NATIONALS AND WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE CONCERNED IF THOSE PROPOSALS WERE EXTENDED WIDELY INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE. BUT, SO FAR, THERE IS NO INDICATION OF THAT. SO THE NUMBER AFFECTED BY WHAT IS BEING SAID IN GUANGZHOU IS VERY LIMITED. CLEARLY TO SUGGEST THAT THESE PROPOSALS IN ANY WAY TORPEDO THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE IS NONSENSE. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IS 20 OR 30 AT THE MOST AND THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE PROVIDES ASSURANCE FOR SOME 50,000 PEOPLE. 50,000 FAMILIES AND SO THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THESE PROPOSALS WILL UNDERMINE SERIOUSLY THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE. THANKYOU VERY MUCH.
WILSON
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