TNAG-2158-FCO40-3078-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-Chinese-views-1990 — Page 79

HKC340/1

STRY

26 MAR 1990

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ALAS!

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to Chinese reaction

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BRIEFING FOR THE HON ALASTAIR GOODLAD MP FOR A MEETING WITH THE

CHINESE AMBASSADOR: 13 MARCH 1990

MAX

+12;3.

NH

2073

NATIONALITY PACKAGE FOR HONG KONG

1.

There has been an increasing number of talented people leaving

Hong Kong over the last few years. (See statistics at A). The

Government are well aware of the concern and reasons why these

people are seeking residency elsewhere and the serious impact this will have on the future prosperity and good administration of Hong Kong up to 1997 and beyond. If these people who are emigrating were granted residency or citizenship of another country without leaving Hong Kong it would give them the assurance they need to remain in

the territory. For precisely this reason the Foreign Secretary announced the package of measures on 20 December to tackle this

problem (Annex B).

2. The Government considered some form of "guaranteed" entry certificate instead of full citizenship but this was ruled out for

two reasons (i) it could be revoked by a future British Government

as the opposition already stated it would and (ii) it was against

the letter of the British Memorandum attached to the Joint

Declaration (section (a) (Annex C)).

3. The Chinese Government, in various statements since the

announcement of the nationality package, have denounced the scheme.

Their objections seem to be:

in their view

(a) That it violates our commitment in the Joint Declaration (they have said that they reserve the right to take appropriate measures on this issue).

(b) That it would give British citizenship to a large number of

civil servants whose allegiance to China may therefore be in

doubt.

MTHAQE

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