TNAG-2159-FCO40-3079-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-Chinese-views-1990 — Page 106

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 290030Z PEKING

TELNO 281

OF 28160OZ MARCH 90

HK340/1

RECEIV

Y REGISTRY

- 9 APR 1990

AND TO DESKBY 29003OZ HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG KO

INDE

AFGISTRY etion Taken

j

HONG KONG TELNO 1072 AND YOUR TEĽNO 482: NATIONALITY SCHEME: BRIEFING THE CHINESE

103

132765

MDHOAN 6023

1. VERY URGENT CONSIDERATION AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL IS BEING GIVEN HERE TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER BENEFICIARIES OF THE SCHEME SHOULD LOSE THEIR BDTC STATUS. WE HOPE THAT THE MATTER WILL BE

RESOLVED QUICKLY AND IN TIME FOR YOU TO TAKE ACTION WITH THE CHINESE BEFORE END OF THE WEEK. WE WILL TELEGRAPH CONFIRMATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

2.

THIS MEANS, HOWEVER, THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BRIEF THE MFA ON 29 MARCH AS PROPOSED. WE DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE SENSIBLE TO TAKE ACTION UNTIL THE POINT ABOUT BDTC STATUS HAS BEEN CLARIFIED

SINCE THE QUESTION OF CONSISTENCY OF THE PACKAGE WITH THE JOINT

DECLARATION WILL BE A CENTRAL ELEMENT IN WHAT YOU SAY TO THE

CHINESE.

3. WE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THE LIST OF QUESTIONS FAXED TO US BY HONG KONG (ALTHOUGH WE WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED AN EARLIER SIGHT OF THIS). WE HAD ASSUMED THAT MUCH OF THIS GROUND WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED DURING PIGOTT'S DUTY VISIT TO HONG KONG EARLIER THIS MONTH. BUT IN ANY CASE THE MAJORITY OF QUESTIONS ARE ONES WHICH CAN ONLY BE ANSWERED FROM HONG KONG SINCE THEY RELATE TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OR TO THE DETAILED ADMINISTRATION OF

THE SCHEME IN HONG KONG. GRATEFUL THEREFORE IF HONG KONG COULD PROVIDE DRAFT ANSWERS, IF POSSIBLE DESKBY 29113OZ.

HURD

YYYY

:

1

1

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