TNAG-2160-FCO40-3080-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-Chinese-views-1990 — Page 32

CONFIDENTIAL

152

147447

MDHIAN 8849

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2206

OF 140252Z JULY 90

HKC 340/1

hr..

STRY

Not: Chinese

16 JUL 1990

GISTRY Taken

fu 1617

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG

OUR TELNO 2074 AND YOUR TELNO 555 TO PEKING: MR MAUDE'S VISIT TO CHINA: NATIONALITY ISSUES.

1. IN THE SUGGESTED LINE IN OUR TUR, WE COVERED THE POINT THAT CHINA SHOULD ENCOURAGE CIVIL SERVANTS TO STAY AND WORK FOR THE SAR, AND NOT THREATEN THEM. THIS IS A VITAL POINT. GIVEN THAT THE NATIONALITY BILL IS NOW LIKELY TO RECEIVE ROYAL ASSENT WHILE MR MAUDE IS IN CHINA, AND THAT THIS SUBJECT MIGHT THEREFORE BE TREATED FAIRLY FULLY, YOU MIGHT LIKE TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL MATERIAL WHICH COULD BE INCLUDED IN MR MAUDE'S BRIEF.

2. IF THE CHINESE DO THREATEN CIVIL SERVANTS, THEY WILL LEAVE. THAT WOULD BE QUITE CONTRARY TO OUR AIM AND CHINA'S, WHICH IS THAT THEY STAY UP TO AND BEYOND 1997. WE CAN UNDERSTAND CHINA'S CONCERN THAT THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT NUMBERS OF HIGH-LEVEL CIVIL SERVANTS WITHOUT RIGHT OF ABODE ELSEWHERE TO FILL THE PRINCIPAL OFFICIAL SLOTS IN 1997. IT WILL OF COURSE BE UP TO INDIVIDUALS WHETHER THEY APPLY FOR PASSPORTS. WE WOULD HOPE AND EXPECT THAT SOME WOULD NOT TAKE THEM UP, GIVEN THEIR INTEREST TO BECOME PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS. MUCH WILL DEPEND ON HOW SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS PERCEIVE THEIR ROLES

AFTER 1997.

3. WE HOPE SOON TO RESUME OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE ON CONTINUITY IN THE CIVIL SERVICE BETWEEN THE HKG AND THE SARG. THESE DISCUSSION HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED SINCE EARLY 1989. BUT AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT TO PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR FRUITFUL DISCUSSION WILL BE STABILITY IN THE CIVIL SERVICE. OTHERWISE WE SIMPLY WILL NOT KNOW WHO TO TALK ABOUT. THIS UNDERLINES THE IMPORTANCE OF CHINESE RESTRAINT WHEN THE NATIONALITY BILL IS PASSED.

4 I HAVE CONSIDERED WHETHER MR MAUDE MIGHT NOT ALSO BE BRIEFED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT CIVIL SERVANTS WHO ACQUIRE BRITISH CITIZENSHIP HAVE A STATUTORY RIGHT TO RENOUNCE IT BUT CAN LATER RE-OBTAIN IT MORE OR LESS AUTOMATICALLY, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE CARE HOW WE USE THIS ARGUMENT AND THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO RESERVE IT FOR USE IN THE ACTUAL DISCUSSIONS AND WHEN THE ATMOSPHERE IS IMPROVED.

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CONFIDENTIAL