SECRET
FM FCO
TO DESKBY 19003OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 183
OF 181345Z JANUARY 89
AND TO DESKBY 19003OZ PEKING
SECRET
HKC3401
031344 MDHOAN 1406
TOP COPY
DIST ?
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1
←
1990
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
DESK OFFICER
INLEX
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM MCLAREN, AUSS
5
YOUR TELSNOS 215 AND 259: UK NATIONALITY SCHEME : CHINESE
VIEWS
1. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN THAT LU PING'S REMARKS REPORTED 1N FIRST TUR WERE EXPLOITED BY THE OPPOSITION WHEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE MADE HIS STATEMENT ON HIS VISIT TO HONG KONG IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON 17 JANUARY. MR KAUFMAN DESCRIBED THESE REMARKS AS QUOTE A TORPEDO RIGHT THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT'S ILL-CONCEIVED PLANS TO AWARD UK PASSPORTS TO 50,000 SO-CALLED KEY PEOPLE UNQUOTE, AND WENT ON TO ARGUE THAT THE CHINESE POSITION MEANT THAT ALL THOSE GIVEN PASSPORTS WOULD WISH TO COME TO THE UK
BEFORE 1997.
2. KAUFMAN'S CRITICISMS AND AGENCY REPORTS OF THE CANTON MEETING ARE WIDELY REFLECTED IN TODAY'S UK PRESS, WITH HEADLINES SUCH AS QUOTE CHINESE ASSAULT ON HONG KONG PASSPORTS DEAL UNQUOTE (TELEGRAPH), QUOTE CHINA BLOW TO HURD ON HONG KONG UNQUOTE (SUN), QUOTE CHINA BROADSIDE AT PASSPORT PLAN UNQUOTE (EXPRESS), AND QUOTE CHINA ROCKS THE BOAT ON HONG KONG FUTURE UNQUOTE (MAIL).
3. NEWS DEPARTMENT ARE COUNTERING THE QUOTE TORPEDO UNQUOTE ARGUMENT WITH THE LINE THAT WHILE HOLDERS OF FULL BRITISH PASSPORTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONSULAR PROTECTION ALL OVER THE WORLD, THE KEY POINTS ARE THAT PEOPLE WILL BE AS
FREE TO LEAVE HONG KONG AFTER 1997 AS THEY ARE NOW (JD AND BL), AND THAT IF THEY WANT TO COME TO THE UK TO LIVE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO SO. THEY ARE ALSO POINTING OUT THAT THE JD RESTRICTS TOP JOBS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE TO CHINESE NATIONALS. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS BEEN BRIEFED SIMILARLY FOR PRIME MINISTER'S QUESTIONS THIS AFTERNOON.
4.
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AS SEEN FROM HERE, A FIRM CHINESE DECISION TO TREAT HONG KONG CHINESE GIVEN FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP UNDER OUR SCHEME AS CHINESE NATIONALS IN THE SAR AND IN THE MAINLAND WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE BUT NOT A DISASTER. GIVEN THE POLITICAL CHALLENGE REPRESENTED BY OUR ANNOUNCEMENT, AS WELL AS THE INFLEXIBILITY OF
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